Pure vs Dirty
by Trisken Leigh
Summary: Dumbledore is dead, Sophia learns the truth of his death, and Draco learns the truth of Sophia. Dealing with his aunt, his parents, and Voldemort, Draco struggles as he is confined in Malfoy Manor. How can he love a girl who is so impure?SequeltoOblivious
1. Back At Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book.**

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.

(Or "Oblivious"...)

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Back At Hogwarts**

* * *

Sophia Dune sat upon her four poster bed in the dormitory she had lived in for six years. It should be so familiar to her, but for some strange reason it felt cold and lifeless. She rested there, tracing her delicate fingers over the engraved initials on her golden locket. A tear trickled along her colorless cheek and her lips quivered. Her arms pushed against the bed and she strived to get onto her feet to stand up, but her feeble legs gave in. She collapsed onto her bed and detested herself for being so sluggish and weak. She was so frail, that she could break at any second. She was fragile in both her body and her mind. After the event that had happened at the end of last year, anybody would be. 

The locket clicked open and the song captivated Sophia once more. It never failed to interest her, because it was the closest thing she had to him. Though she wanted nothing more to do with him, a part of her still longed for his presence. After what he had done, she wasn't quite sure if she could ever forgive him. But what did that matter now? It didn't look as though she was ever going to see him again. She hadn't laid eyes on him in the Great Hall during dinner that night, so she assumed he wasn't coming back to Hogwarts.

She fell back across her bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking about everything, but trying to focus on nothing. This past summer had been the most dreadful summer she had ever lived through. She didn't think she would make it, and was mournful that she did.

Life at Hogwarts this year was going to be horrid. Many students hadn't returned because their parents didn't want them in an unsafe school. Ever since the death of Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts began falling apart completely. The student body lessened and the staff didn't brighten the mood. They were gloomy and depressed just like everyone else.

What was confusing to most of the students was that Severus Snape had taken the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts. Everyone had assumed it would be Professor McGonagall, but evidently it wasn't. But what did Sophia care? Nothing mattered anymore. Not to her at least.

Sophia dreaded tomorrow, for tomorrow was the beginning of the worst year at Hogwarts yet.


	2. Task Failed

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text.   
**

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book.   
**

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Task Failed**

* * *

Draco stood there, nearly paralyzed from shock. It was done. Dumbledore was dead…but he had not been the one to kill him.

Snape snatched Draco's robes around his neck and shoved him towards the door to the staircase. Draco scrambled down each step and came into the corridor of havoc and chaos. Part of the ceiling was caving in, and Snape shouted, "It's over, time to go!"

Still clutching to Draco's robes, Snape forced his way through the battle to the exit. Draco glanced behind him only to find Harry Potter struggling to keep up with them.

Where had _he_ come from?

At that moment, Draco was unsure what he felt towards Harry. A surge of bitterness and malice overcame Draco, and at the same time helplessness and confusion. Suddenly, the beast that Draco had not intended to come pounced on Harry. Fenrir was on top of him, but Draco lost sight of the pair as he turned the corner with Snape.

Draco loathed himself at the moment. Why should he ever feel sorry for_anyone_?

But then, as Snape led him through never-ending corridors, Draco remembered the pleading voice. He knew it was Sophia, but was unsure whether she had really been there, or whether he had imagined the whole thing. He felt a pang of guilt towards Sophia and thought of the danger he had put her in.

Then spite filled his mind and body and he loathed that pleading voice. It was what made him hesitant to kill Dumbledore. If the voice hadn't spoken, then Draco might've possibly killed Dumbledore.

They arrived atop the marble staircase and raced down the steps heading for the entrance of Hogwarts. Snape blasted a spell through his wand and the entrance doors exploded. Snape grabbed Draco by the forearm and dragged him across the entrance hall. They stepped through the doors and out onto the grounds.

Draco had not been aware of the aching pain in his legs until he inhaled the crisp night air. It burned within his lungs, blades of ice striking his chest each time he gasped for another breath. Every time his foot pounded the ground, it shot a razor-sharp pain through his legs. Snape was no longer holding onto him, forcing him to run. Draco's speed reduced and he fell behind.

Snape barked, "Keep up Draco! Do you want to die?" With all the strength he could muster, Draco hastened his step and was back in line with Snape. His feet and legs throbbed, and the bitter cold was tearing at his bare skin. In the distance he heard a familiar voice shout, "Impedimenta!" Potter was gaining on them.

Draco's sudden uneasiness caused him to advance and he was now ahead of Snape.

"Run, Draco!" Snape bellowed. Draco continued to sprint to the edge of Hogwarts' boundaries.

"Cruc—" he heard Potter's faint voice howl. Flashes of lights erupted behind Draco and the shouting of curses and spells grew softer and softer.

Despite the raw, freezing weather, Draco's robes were sticking to his body, and sweat formed across his forehead. With his mouth hanging open panting, pain piercing every part of his body, and death on his heels, Draco pushed on to towards the gates. He strained to reach the iron exit, and when he finally made it he blasted through. His hands on his knees, he gulped in a large breath of fresh air.

He was out. Free. Death was no longer encroaching upon him. He was free to go. But where?

Home.

He took one last glance behind him, and could distinguish two dark figures battling and yelling at one another. With the last bit of energy he had, Draco disapparated.

He was on his hands and knees in the dirt. Soil embedded his nails and rocks dug into his palms. Had he made it?

He gazed around into the darkness and let his eyes adjust. He did make it, he was home.

He stood up wiping the earth into his robes and stared at his house, Malfoy Manor. He wondered what Potter and Snape were doing now. He didn't care for either one of them at the moment. He didn't desire for either of them to live. Hatred filled Draco's heart as the scene of Snape cursing Dumbledore filled his head.

He was supposed to do it! Not Snape. Of course, _Professor Snape_ had to come to the_rescue_ as usual. Trying to steal his glory…he had even told Snape that to his face! But he denied it. He told Draco he was talking like a child. Draco loathed Snape.

"_Follow me, Draco." Snape led Draco to the last classroom at the end of the corridor and began accusing him. "Draco, you better not do anything else stupid. The idea of a cursed necklace was reckless and irrational and you should think more before you act! You cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled—"_

"_I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"_

_Why was Snape so suspecting of him?_

"_I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish."_

_It wasn't __**that**__ foolish…_

"_Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."_

_WHAT?_

"_Who suspects me? For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about…" Snape gave him a disbelieving look with an air of superiority._

"—_don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work—I can stop you!"_

_Oh no, Draco would never let Snape take the credit for killing Dumbledore._

"_Ah…Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see."_

_Hah. He can't get to his mind. He had thought as much._

"_What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"_

_MASTER? Hah!_

"_I'm not trying to conceal anything from __**him**__, I just don't want __**you**__ butting in!"_

_Hah. Got him._

"_So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco—"_

"_So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!"_

_Bloody wanker._

"_You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."_

"_You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"_

"_Listen to me. I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco—"_

_And there was no need for that!_

"_Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"_

_A lot longer._

"_What is your plan?"_

_Yea, like he was going to tell __**him**_

"_It's none of your business!"_

"_If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you—"_

"_I've got all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"_

"_You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes—"_

_Elementary mistakes!?_

"_I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"_

"_Keep your voice down! If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres—"_

_Who cares?_

"_What does it matter? Defense Against the Dark Arts—it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protection against the Dark Arts—"_

"_It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco! Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle—"_

"_They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"_

_Like Sophia…_

"_Then why not confide in me, and I can—"_

"_I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"_

_The bloody hell he won't._

"_You are speaking like a child."_

_How__**dare**__ him!_

"_I quite understand that you father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but—"_

_And Draco stormed out, not wanting to here any more of Snape's pathetic excuses. Nor did he want to hear the partial truth that Snape told. Yes, Draco was upset over his father and partially angry at the Dark Lord…but that didn't matter. Draco had caught him. Snape wanted to kill Dumbledore himself to be the Dark Lord's favorite. Draco would never let him._

Snape should've let him kill Dumbledore. If he had just waited a few more seconds he could've. Now what were the other Death Eaters going to say about him…his parents…

_Voldemort?_

He shivered, and it wasn't because of the icy winds. Just the thought of the Dark Lord discovering Draco's failure was enough to send panic through his body. Draco was about ready to kill Snape.

_Pop_.

He was right on queue.

"Draco, are you al—"

"—I'm fine." His anger was building up inside him, until he remembered that Snape had battled Potter. "What happened?" he asked with sudden curiosity.

"Nothing, Draco."

"Did you…you know—"

"No Draco! Don't be ridiculous," Snape spat at him. Well how should he know? Snape could've killed Potter if he had really wanted to. "Now Draco, you must understand that I had to—"

"You can tell me all the useless excuses you want to but I won't believe any of them!" Draco's animosity resurfaced and he was once again hostile towards Snape.

"Draco! You are acting childish again! Our time was running out and you were taking too long to kill him. I had to or else he wouldn't have died."

He had referred to him as a child _again!_

"How do _you_ know? I could've killed him if you had just given me some more time!" Draco sneered.

"Time we didn't have Draco!" Snape argued. "Face the facts! You didn't kill Albus Dumbledore and you couldn't have!"

"OH SOD OFF!" Draco hollered as he trudged up the hill to his house. There was not one more uttering from Snape as Draco reached the front doors.

He laid a hand on the handle and took a deep breath. He was home. This was it. They would soon all find out what he had done. Or rather, what he _hadn't_ done.

Without ringing or knocking, he opened the door to his home. There was his mother sitting on the couch with a tissue in hand, and his father leaning over the back of the couch whispering in her ear. As soon as the door swung open they book glanced up to find Draco, muddle-haired and dirty, standing at the threshold.

His father was…back. Out of Azkaban. Free. But how?

Draco didn't care, he was only happy to see that his father was out of that rotten place and back home, yet…it pained Draco to see Lucius' and Narcissa's eyes filled with hope, happiness, and serenity. Once they discovered what had happened at Hogwarts, they would no longer be feeling that way.


	3. Aunty Bellatwix

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Aunty Bellatwix**

* * *

"Draco!" Narcissa lunged for him and threw her arms around her only son she thought she may never see again. "Draco! Draco! Draco!" She couldn't stop saying his name, for fear that he wasn't really here and she was imagining it. "Speak to me! Say something!" She just wanted to make sure he wasn't a figment of her imagination. 

"I'm back," he stated bleakly. Narcissa squeezed him even tighter than she had before and never wanted to let go.

"Thank Merlin you're alive!" She leaned back to look into his charcoal eyes. From her expression, Draco could tell that she read him like a book. "Honey…_what_ _happened_?" She stroked his untidy hair and glimpsed at his disheveled robes.

"Nothing." He pulled away from her grasp and looked fixedly at the floor. Narcissa was lost and looked to Snape for help.

"It's done. He's dead." Narcissa neither smiled nor frowned. Her face was completely stern. She looked at Draco and began to ask,

"Did you ki—"

"No." Narcissa did not even finish her sentence before Draco replied. He knew what she was going to ask and didn't want to hear anymore of it. Silence filled the room and no one dared to say anything. Lucius and Narcissa glanced at one another to exchange a silent conversation. Draco could tell they were upset that their son didn't perform the task he was given by the Dark Lord. They both feared the same Draco did.

Snape commented, "It doesn't matter who killed him, what matters, is the fact that he is dead. The job is done." Draco glared at him with fierce, cold eyes. Did Snape _want_ him to hate him? "When should we notify the Dark Lord?"

No. Draco did not want him to find out. But he has to. There's no way around it. What would he do if he found out?

"You're back!" said an excited, shrilling voice from the doorway of the living room.

_Oh Merlin…not her…_Draco thought.

"Bellatrix, they're safe!" Narcissa remarked.

Ignoring her sister, Bellatrix asked, "Well? Is he?" Snape once again nodded his head yes. "Good…good." She peered over at Draco who was staring her in the eyes. Her smile strayed to one side of her face, making her look like a lunatic. "Draco…Draco, Draco, Draco…" She was stepping towards him little at a time, repeating his name. Draco despised it when she mocked him.

She leaned in to observe his face and asked, "Well? Did you?" Draco merely shook his head. She cackled like a mad woman and said nothing more. He knew she wasn't going to harass him in front of his parents. She never has.

She walked to the other side of the room leisurely, turned around, retrieved her wand, lifted her left sleeve, and touched her wand to her Dark Mark; all the while she was smirking at Draco watching his expression. The Dark Mark seemed to writhe and became a very dark shade of black. She snickered as she placed her wand back inside her robes.

Draco couldn't take anymore. He strode out of the room and up the stairwell. He trudged into his bedroom and shut the door. He placed his hands on the back of an extravagant chair in front of his desk and leaned on it. His head hung down with his eyes closed, and his hands tightened their grip on the edge of the chair.

He was trying to hold it all in. He was about to let a tear slip when a voice spoke up from behind him.

"I told your mother I would come and talk to you." The voice was indifferent and filled with spite. Draco didn't even bother to look up at his aunt. "You disgust me," she snarled, repulsed by her one and only nephew. "I knew you couldn't do it. I knew you wouldn't kill him."

This statement roused Draco. He shouted, "I didn't have enough time!"

"What do you mean you didn't have enough time? According to Snapey, you were up there for a good ten minutes!"

"I just needed a few more seconds!" he argued. His voice was getting louder and louder as he became more irritated by her sneers.

"What were you doing all that time? Having some tea and crumpets with Dumbledore? Was it a nice tea party?" she scoffed.

"YOU SHOULDN'T ASSUME THINGS WHEN YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!" Draco's face was bright red and his chest was heaving up and down. He glowered at Bellatrix and loathed her even more than Snape.

Bellatrix was scowling at him when her expression changed abruptly. It was as if she understood everything all of a sudden. "Oooh, ho, ho. I get it now. Dumbledore was trying to talk you into joining his side, trying to save his own life, wasn't he? And you bothered to _listen_ to him? Is that what you two were doing? Having a little chat?" She laughed softly and sighed, her face relaxing into a grimace. "You're pitiful."

Draco was concentrating on the floor, trying to hold in his emotions. Anger, terror, regret, misery, panic, dread, sorrow; flowed through his veins.

"Awww…I'm _saw-wee…_" she spoke in a baby voice. "Did I _upset_ you? Was Aunty Bellatwix huh-ting you?" she continued, her face pouting. Draco maintained his staring at the floor. "Are you _that_ pathetic?" Her voice was bitter again. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!" she screamed with fury.

Draco's head slowly rose to stare Bellatrix in the eyes. "Leave me alone," he said bluntly.

"The bloody hell I'll leave you alone! You are a wretched boy! You can't even kill another wizard! I knew you would never amount to anything. I could always tell you were weak. You couldn't pick up Occulemency quickly, unlike me, your mother, your father—"

"BE QUIET!" he bellowed.

"HA! Don't you DARE tell your aunt to be quiet! You are disrespectful Draco…you are useless to your family…to the Dark Lord…did you even _want_ to kill Dumbledore?" Draco stood still, not moving an inch, not uttering a word. "ANSWER ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!" Her right hand had taken hold of his face now and shook it violently.

"Yes," he responded calmly.

"LIAR!" She dug her nails into his cheeks and he shouted with pain. He thrust her hand away, wrenching from her at the same time, and reached into his robes for his wand. "Ah ah ah…" she warned him, her index finger wavering back and forth, her wand held right at his nose. "Don't you even dare to point that wand at your aunty." Her words were bouncy and taunting. She was crazy…mad…

"You're bloody nuts…" Draco muttered.

"And what if I am?" she giggled. Draco began turning around to face his desk when out of the blue, Bellatrix shoved him back up against the wall with her wand at his thin, white neck. His chin was high in the air, avoiding the tip of the wand. "Don't. Insult. Your. Superiors."

Her wand lowered and disappeared behind her robes once more. She sneered, spun around and headed towards the door, her long, raven hair swaying at her hips. She looked at Draco one last time and uttered, "Pathetic." and she was gone.


	4. Encounter

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book.**

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…)**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

**Encounter**

* * *

The surrounding atmosphere unexpectedly went frigid. Draco's body reacted with a shiver. Draco's hands began to tremble as he realized what the bitter wind meant.

Oh no. He's here.

Draco dashed for the door, whipped it open, and scurried down the dark hallway. He came to the top of the stairwell and collected himself. He calmly took each step at a time, gradually making his way to the first floor. The first person he met eyes with was his father.

Lucius' forehead was creased with worry for his son's fate, and his lips were held tightly together, as if expecting something truly horrible to occur. Draco's eyes wandered over to Narcissa's, and she too had almost the same exact expression painted onto her blanched face. Draco entered the front hallway and stood in-between his mother and father.

The five of them stood in silence; Draco, Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Snape, awaiting the return of their Dark Lord.

Bellatrix was the complete opposite than that of her sister and brother-in-law. She was filled with excitement and marvel, wondering what was to become of her pitiful nephew. The smile was not only for this exhilaration, but also the anticipation of once again seeing her Master.

It was sickening to Draco how someone would succumb to a lone person, believing that they are everything and they themselves are nothing. But Draco never dared to say is own opinion aloud, for that would surely bring about his death.

Then, it happened.

The door swung open and there stood the Dark Lord.

Lord Voldemort.

Draco thought that Voldemort would be pleased with the news of Dumbledore's death, yet he did not bare a smile. His face was grim and his red eyes searched the room. Without warning, his head snapped towards Draco.

He winced.

Voldemort merely laughed, a sonic boom filling the room.

"Young Malfoy! Did I frighten you? Ha! Fool…" His eyes turned to Draco's aunt and he continued, "Ah…Bellatrix." She bowed deeply and a crooked smile spread across her face. Draco nearly gagged, but he was too petrified to even budge an inch. "Severus…" and Snape followed his name up with a bow as well. "Lucius…Narcissa…" His parents mimicked the action and Voldemort's attention was back on Snape. "Well Severus? Is it true? Is it done?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good…good…" The tension was too much for Draco. He couldn't stand it. He knew the question would come sooner or later. "Draco!" He jumped. Oops. "Ha ha…" Voldemort scoffed at Draco's panic once more. "So Draco…how did my loyal followers gain entry into Hogwarts?"

Phew. He hasn't asked it yet.

Draco stuttered, "The Van-Vanishing Cabinets in the R-Room of Require…m…ment sir."

"Ah, clever, clever my boy. And to think I believed you to not succeed." Draco's heart stopped for a millisecond. "Calm down Draco. You're shaking. You have no reason to fear me." Yea. Right. "So what exactly happened, Severus?" He turned to Snape now.

Bloke! Stop shaking! You're being stupid…calm down…when he finds out…he'll find out. There is nothing you can do to stop it.

Snape's voice was completely monotone, "Well, Master, The Order came and disrupted us. There was a bit of a battle going on in the room below the Astronomy Tower."

Stop trembling! Stop it!

"I got there as fast as I could—"

Oh no.

"—and I went straight up to the Astronomy Tower as fast as I could—"

Oh Merlin.

"—and the other Death Eaters were already there—"

No…no…

Voldemort's eyes were closed, his hand under his chin, picturing the scene in his head. Snape took this chance to give the quickest glance of sympathy towards Draco. Yet, his eyes full of pity. It was odd for Draco to receive that sort of understanding from Snape.

Voldemort's gaze was back on Snape, and he was listening intently.

"—And I killed Albus as fast as I could to get us out of there."

He said it. He knows. He's going to kill him. He's dead.

Voldemore simply stared at Snape. He didn't seem to comprehend that Draco hadn't killed Dumbledore. Had he not heard Snape right?

"Hm. That is interesting. That is very interesting Severus. Because I believe I commanded Young Malfoy to kill Albus, unless I misunderstood you?"

Shite.

Draco's face fell and his body paralyzed itself. He waited for the words to be uttered from the Dark Lord's mouth…waited for him to kill yet again…waiting to receive the punishment he deserved…

"Yes, Master, I fully recall you demanded Draco to do the job," Snape replied indifferently.

"Well then?"

"We were running out of time and he had to be killed. The Order was close on our tail and we needed to get out of Hogwarts. I did what I had to. All that is important is that Albus Dumbledore is de—"

Snape stopped before he finished his statement. Voldemort's eyes glowered at him, redder than ever. Snape attempted to correct himself,

"M-Master, I am terribly sorry to anger you." Snape bowed and Voldemort look down upon him with a furious glaze in his eyes.

"Do not tell me what is important and what is not Severus…" he whispered menacingly.

"Yes My Lord…"

"Boy." It was a simple command and Draco knew what Voldemort had wanted him to do. But he just could not bring himself to move forward or even speak for that matter. His throat was dry, his face was flushed, and his eyes immense.

"Boy," he repeated a little sharper.

"Yes," Draco responded surprisingly without a stutter.

"The correct answer is 'Yes My Lord'," Voldemort corrected.

"Y-Yes, My Lord?" For Merlin's sake, that damn stutter!

"Did you kill Albus Dumbledore?" The question was so simple. No tricks, no deceit, just a plain question; but a terrifying one.

"N-No, My Lord."

"Hm, I see." He hesitated before asking, "And what was your simple task?"

_Simple?_

"To k-kill Dumbled-dore," Draco answered nearly fainting from fear.

"And you did not?"

"No, My Lord."

"And tell me Draco, why not?" It was almost as if he was taunting him.

"I-I don't kn—" but he decided better against that statement. "There is no reason I should have failed my obligation My Lord."

"Well said, Draco, well said," Voldemort smiled mockingly. "But that isn't good enough." His face twisted and was once again grave. "Give me a real answer boy!" His voice had elevated.

He didn't know what else to say. "I don't kn—"

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" he bellowed. Draco heard Bellatrix's faint snort and knew she would use this against him later.

"I couldn't—"

"WHY NOT?"

"He kept talking to m—"

"WHY DID YOU LISTEN TO HIM?"

"I didn't listen to hi—"

Draco stopped mid-sentence just as Snape had before. Voldemort was glaring at him with the same intensity as before, maybe even more. Draco had never seen Voldemort yell at anyone for any reason other than Harry Potter escaping time and time again.

He closed his eyes, composed himself and began again in a hissing undertone, "Were you _afraid_ of Dumbledore?"

"No!" Draco protested bitterly. He soon regretted that.

"Do not shout at me!" Draco cringed. "Are you afraid to _kill_?" He whispered the word, his scarlet eyes digging into him.

Draco didn't answer. He didn't want to lie. Voldemort would know he was lying. But couldn't possibly utter the truth.

Voldemort looked away, repulsed by him. He stood there in deep thought for a moment with furrowed eyebrows and a taut mouth. He looked up and glowered at Draco for a fleeting moment then took to Snape.

"Severus."

"Yes My Lord?"

"Find out what is going on at Hogwarts."

"Yes My Lord." Snape left through the front door immediately.

"Bellatrix."

"Yes Master?"

"Go and tell the other Death Eaters the news."

"Yes Master." She too left the mansion.

"Lucius. Narcissa."

"Yes My Lord?" they said in unison.

"Go with Bellatrix."

"Yes My Lord." They hesitated to leave.

"Now." They nodded and headed towards the door where Bellatrix had exited. Narcissa gave one last look to Draco, and a tear rolled down her cheek. They disappeared through the door.

"You." He couldn't even speak Draco's name. "Leave." Draco was taken aback at his command.

"Wh-What?"

"Leave," he reiterated with more force.

"Yes…My Lord." Draco ambled up the stairwell, heading to his bedroom for the second time today.

What had just happened? Why didn't he just die? Or at least get some kind of curse or form of punishment? Was he off the hook that easily? He couldn't be.

Draco dropped onto his bed gaping at the floor. His body was still tense and he was still filled with dread. He couldn't comprehend Voldemort's reaction.

He only knew that he never wanted an encounter like that one ever again.


	5. Looking Back

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Looking Back**

* * *

_Everything was lost in the fog and he couldn't see a thing, except her. He could picture her perfectly. Her chestnut hair resting against her back, her chocolate-colored eyes staring back at him, and her beautiful face smiling._

_But then the smile turned to a frown._

_Why? Why had she become so solemn all of a sudden?_

"_Draco…" Her hand reached out for him but he couldn't grasp it. He was only inches away and his fingertips were scraping hers. Darkness flooded in and began to envelop her body. She cried out his name again. He tried to return the plea but nothing came out. "DRACO PLEASE!" He cringed at her cry, so full of agony. "DON'T!" He wanted to ask her what it was she didn't want him to do._

_He hadn't…killed her…had he? No! He wouldn't! He would never!_

"_Dumbl—" But her words were cut off, for now she was completely shrouded in darkness. He realized what she was pleading. She was telling him to not kill Dumbledore._

"_I DIDN'T!" he finally shouted back. But she was gone. It was already too late._

_Would he have killed Dumbledore if he had gotten the chance?_

"_SOPHIAAAAA!" he roared, and it echoed all around him and he winced at the sound of his own voice._

"_Coward." A voice blurted._

"_Weakling." Another voice said._

"_Gutless." Said yet another._

"_STOP!" he shouted._

"_Scum."_

"_Bastard."_

"_Feeble."_

"_Spineless."_

"_NO!" he tried to shout over all of the voices, but his voice was drowned in the noise around him._

_Then there was silence._

"_Pathetic…"_

"_Bellatrix…?" He quivered._

_Then __**his**__ face appeared. The Dark Lord's…eyes red…slits…like a snake…_

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_A green light…_

Draco woke up with a start, sweat coating his face, and his damp clothes plastered to his body. He hadn't known he had fallen asleep on his bed.

That dream. That _nightmare_. It was fearsome. Draco's mind lingered on Bellatrix and Voldemort for only a few minutes, until he grasped the beginning of the dream.

Sophia.

She had been in his dream. Calling for him. Asking him to not kill Dumbledore. Was she there? That night? But how could she have gotten there? But it had to be her…unless Draco had been imagining things…

But the voice was too clear to just be a figment of his imagination.

The voice. It was her. It had to be. It sounded so much like her. He had hated the voice when it first struck him, but he grew fond of it after time…

"_What's wrong?"_

_What the bloody hell? Who is she?_

"_So why were you crying?"_

"_**Excuse me**__…I was not crying."_

_Lies._

"_Okay. Sorry, I just figured you were because there were tear drops on the pages."_

_What? How did she—what is she—GR._

"_Who are __**you**__?" he said through gritted teeth. This girl was getting quite annoying._

"_I'm Sophia Dune from Ravenclaw. And I know you're Draco Malfoy of Slytherin. You don't have a reputation of crying, I know that much. Something must really be bugging you to upset you that much."_

_VERY, annoying._

He had been nasty to her that's for sure. But she was butting into his business and she had no right to ask him those questions. She deserved what she got…maybe. Well he didn't think much of her until he was paired with her.

Hah, but Transfiguration class was amusing though. Well, until she got angry.

"_Don't just go around calling anyone a git, Draco! Neville and Lavender are not gits. Lavender may be a little odd but she happens to be a very nice person. And Neville is intelligent and very kind. He just lacks confidence."_

_Ha. Okaaay. Riiiiiight._

"_That doesn't mean they're not gits."_

"_What is __**wrong**__ with you!? You think you're better than everyone else? I should have known. I knew you were nasty but I thought you might have grown out of it." She stomped off._

_Smooth._

He wasn't trying to impress her with his amazing wits. (Well…maybe a _little_…) He was just stating the facts.

He had first taken a real fancy to her when she had wished him luck at his Quidditch match…

"_Oh, well good luck!" She began to walk away from him. But he didn't want her to leave, not just yet._

"_Who are you going to be rooting for?" he asked her, trying to add some friendliness in his voice. He wasn't sure if it was working. He didn't do this too often._

He admits it. He was trying to flirt with her. He wasn't sure if _that_ worked either, but it was worth a try. After all, she was going to root for him. But he didn't play. He couldn't. He was too busy planning in the—

—The Room of Requirement. He had come out and noticed her sitting there on the ledge of the window. He startled her and she nearly fell off.

"_Don't kill yourself."_

"_What's your excuse __**this**__ time?" Uh oh. She was pissed._

"_I didn't feel well." She laughed at him. "I'm not lying to you. I wouldn't lie to you."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?" He completely ignored that question on purpose. She didn't get it? This girl was dense._

"_I don't have to explain anything to anyone, especially you." He was the angry one now. He had a short temper these days._

After he snapped at her she asked him if he was okay! This girl was truly off her rocker. But he still liked her.

Strangely enough.

She asked if she could help him in any way possible and he said no. She begged him and he thought of something. She was going to ask her aunt for some polyjuice potion ingredients. He was running out and he needed to stock up again.

Everything was going fine until that damn Filch caught him in the hallways. Draco had tried to cover up with saying that he was going to Slughorn's party. Snape was furious at him 'wandering in the corridors at night'.

Draco shuddered at the thought of his old mission which was now over. He tried to get his focus back on Sophia.

Soon, she came to him and told him she had received the ingredients from her aunt. He was about to pay her but she had said…

"_Happy Christmas."_

How could anyone be so…_generous_? It was revolting.

But she was nice…to _him_. No one had ever truly been generous to _him_. All they ever did was either hate him, or suck up to him. Both were infuriating but he would rather have suck-ups.

He tried to be kind (which wasn't the easiest thing for him) and in return gave her a sample of the polyjuice potion. She was thankful for it. But then she had to go and say _that_…

"_Don't give up hope."_

"_What!?"_

_What was __**that**__ all about?! Stupid girl…_

"_I…I was just telling you to not give up hope. On your problem…you looked as though you might break out into tears and I thought maybe you were giving up—"_

"_I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about." He snapped at her. "I don't have a problem. And I don't need your help. Or anyone's for that matter." She was staring at him with wide eyes, obviously full of confusion. But he was so irritated at this point._

"_You're pathetic."_

No. _YOU'RE_ pathetic Draco. Great, now he was talking to himself.

But he was. And he still is.

He was cruel to her, crueler than he should've been. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of that. She was a considerate person and he bashed on her for trying to help him.

He was evil.

But he had to be. He just…_was_. It was who he was. He can't just…_change_. Can he?

Months went by and he hadn't spoken a word to Sophia. He was busy working on the—

But he gave up. He just couldn't fix the problem. He was crying to Moaning Myrtle. He had stooped so low as to…_cry_. He had felt so…_pathetic_…

"_I can help you…" Moaning Myrtle offered sympathetically. The exact words Sophia had spoken. It tore him inside to think of her._

"_No one can help me. I can't do it…I can't…It won't work…and unless I do it soon…he says he'll kill me…" Tears were pouring down his washed-out face. He couldn't control them. They just kept flowing._

_And it was true. He couldn't do it. Sophia had told him to not give up hope…but he had. He couldn't fix them…but then…__**he**__ would kill him…no…_

_Draco glanced up into the broken mirror and there stood Harry Potter, gaping at him._

_What happened next Draco wasn't sure of. He was too livid to even think about what he was doing._

_Spells and curses flew everywhere, bouncing off the walls, ceilings, and sinks. Moaning Myrtle's voice crying out in the background, barely audible, trying to make them stop fighting._

_Impossible. Draco wanted to kill Potter right now._

"_Cruci—"_

"_SECTUMSEMPRA!"_

_DAMNIT._

_He didn't even have one more second to think. Blood burst from his face and chest, gushing to the ground beneath him. He stumbled backwards and his legs gave in. He fell to the floor writhing in pain, and he could see Potter kneeling over him muttering, "No—I didn't—"_

_Someone was screaming, "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"_

_Then Snape appeared by his side, his wand working it's way up and down his entire body. The pain eased but was still sharp. Snape hauled him up and used himself as a crutch for Draco. _

_The next thing he knew he was in the hospital wing…_

That was an excruciating memory. Potter standing there, watching him cry…no. No one ever saw Draco Malfoy cry! Draco Malfoy never even cried!

That was a lie.

Then…he saw her, sitting underneath the tree looking weary. He remembered her looking so stunning…

_She wheeled around and looked him straight in the eye. She embraced him tightly and held to him like she was afraid he would leave her._

"_I'm so glad you're okay!"_

"_I…I'm fine," he replied. She was gazing into space and Draco had to say her name to get her attention, "Sophia?"_

"_Hm?" She looked so oblivious._

"_Look…I don't say this often…at all actually." Ha. That was for sure. "I'm sorry," he managed to get out._

_He'd expected it to be much more difficult than that, but for some reason with Sophia, it was actually quite effortless._

_Because he meant it._

_Then she kissed him on the cheek. That was unexpected. But nice. Very nice…_

And she still wanted to help him, even after the horrible things he had said to her.

She really was amazing.

She begged him to not give up and to keep striving, and how could he say no to _her_?

Then he had heard that Sophia had gotten into a row with Pansy! Damn that Pansy Parkinson, Merlin, he loathed her. He needed to know what the real story was and Sophia had gladly told him…

"_Wow. Is it true, did Pansy really jump you like that?" he asked._

"_Yup. She really is awful Draco. I don't know how you ever put up with her at the Yule Ball…"_

"_Ha, well she isn't that bad. Well, I mean she doesn't go around shooting the Cruciatus Curse at me."_

"_But she's there so why not use her."_

"_I never said that!" Why did she presume that? She can't go around making assumptions! Besides, it's not true! Well…fully true._

"_Ha, whatever." Damnit._

"_So what exactly did she say?" he questioned._

"_She told me to stay away from you, like you were some piece of her property."_

_Revulsion pricked his stomach._

"_I told her you were a human being and that you belonged to no one, not her, not me."_

_Bloody Merlin, this girl's mad._

"_Why are you so nice to people?"_

Why was that? How can one person have such a big heart? It was a mystery to Draco, but none the less he liked her.

He did it. He fixed the cabinets. The date was set. They were ready to come. They were ready to fight. But he wasn't. Not yet. He needed to say goodbye first…

_Her head perked up at the sound of the song. She spun around to face the direction the noise had come from. He saw her face light up with joy. His heart lept. He dropped it into her hand and she gazed at it, mesmerized. _

"_I knew you'd like it."_

"_It's…it's, oh Merlin! Why did you get this?" _

_Why do you think he got it?_

_He held her in his arms and it felt so good to._

"_Happy Belated Christmas," he breathed into her ear._

"_I…thank you…You look bett—" But the words were caught._

"_I look better, I know. My health has improved."_

"_You still look tired." _

"_Yea." _

_Then he kissed her._

_It was a wonderful sensation, their lips moving together as one._

"_What was __**that**__ for?"_

_For helping him._

"_I did it." Sophia jumped on him and hugged him._

"_YES! SEE? I TOLD YOU DRACO, DIDN'T I? I KNEW YOU COULD! YES! YES! YES!" _

"_Yes Sophia. It's all because of you."_

"_Because of me?" He nodded yes. "All I did was—"_

"—_Frighten me." Sophia laughed at him but he was not joking around. "No. I'm serious. You really did scare me Sophia. You told me that giving up was pitiful and pathetic. And I realized you were right. I would just be worthless and weak if I had surrendered." He took her head in his hands, "You helped me, and I didn't think I needed help. I was wrong. And I'm frustrated about that. But if it was you who helped me, than that makes me less annoyed with myself. Because I like you."_

_No…he didn't just __**like **__her…_

_A tear trickled from her eye. "It's all because of you," he repeated. He kissed her again. He wanted to stay here in this exact place and kiss her until death came to take them away._

"_Draco…why can't you be like this all the time?"_

_Be like what?_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You really are nice, Draco. Why do you have to pretend to be rotten?" _

_He couldn't answer that. It was impossible. Because he himself did not even know the answer._

They had walked away hand in hand…what he would give to be with her right now.

Why didn't he tell her?

Why didn't he just come out and say it?

He loved her, and he admitted it to himself at that precise moment. Why didn't he say those three words to her, to let her know?

Because he was afraid. What if she didn't return the words he so wanted to hear her speak?

Weak…he was weak…gutless…spineless…feeble… he was scum…a bastard…a coward…he was…

pathetic.

He uttered the words he so wanted to whisper in her ear,

"I love you Sophia Dune."


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**The Truth Comes Out**

* * *

_Approximately two months later…August 29…_

"Mum. When are we going to Diagon Alley?" Draco asked Narcissa. The summer had passed by so slowly, and it was dreadful for Draco. All he could think about was Sophia and seeing her again once school came around.

The plan was for Snape to become the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Draco found that idea somewhat odd. The only headmaster he could picture and had ever known was Dumbledore. But now he was gone.

His viewpoint at home was different than his viewpoint as a student. He knew Dumbledore being dead was a good thing, but trying to imagine going back to school and him not being there was a weird sensation.

"Draco…" His mother hesitated for a moment, "I don't like having to be the one to tell you this honey—" Oh no. What was it? "—But…you're not going back to Hogwarts," she said simply, distress heard in her words.

What? Not…not going back? To Hogwarts? Impossible…why? Why not?

"What?!" Draco spat. "What do you mean I'm not going back to Hogwarts! Of course I am! Mum! No one thinks I did it! No one knows I was even involved!" The anger in his tone became more apparent with each sentence.

"It's not that Draco," Narcissa stated calmly.

"Then what is it?" he asked brusquely. "It's not fair mum! Snape gets to go back and _he's_ the one who killed him! If anyone, they'll suspect him!"

"Draco, please don't yell…" she pleaded.

"If it's about you wanting to keep me safe again then that's a bunch of bull! I'll be fine! Just like I was last year! You can even make all the Unbreakable Vows with who ever you like for all I care!"

"It's not _that_ Draco!" Narcissa's volume was raising.

Draco wasn't listening, he was too irritated. "Snape is going to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts so I'll be perfectly fine there!"

He wanted to go back. He _needed_ to go back.

"You can't do this…it's not fair! Snape gets to go back!"

He knew he was repeating himself. He was going to fight his mother until he got his way. That's what he did in the past, and it always worked.

"I'm going back mum, no matter what you say or do and you can't stop me. I'm going back to Hogwarts and—"

"DRACO!" she sobbed. She was…_crying_. Draco ceased his ranting and ogled at his mother. The last time he saw her cry was when he came home during his third year and showed her his cut from that damn hippogriff. Well, that and when he came home from his sixth year…

"Draco…_please_. Stop this. I'm not the one who is not allowing you to go back," she begged.

"Then who is?" he snapped. "Father?"

Draco's emotions were all over the place lately and he couldn't control his raging outbreaks.

She stared at him with glassy eyes and replied, "No. _He_ is forbidding you to go back to Hogwarts." The emphasis on 'he' conveyed the message clearly to Draco.

Voldemort was not allowing him to go back.

Damn him.

"I…I'm sorry mum. I didn't mean to upset you." There was no reason to argue anymore. It was out of his parents' control and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't going back. Not now, and probably not ever.

With that, Draco sauntered upstairs back to his desolate room where he spent his whole summer thinking about _her_, and worrying about _him_.

Not once had he uttered Sophia's name, for fear someone would overhear him and interrogate him. He didn't want anyone to know about Sophia, because the information would eventually get around to _him_, and who knows what he might do to her. He had been furious with Lucius, so he attacked his son…and now he's mad at Draco, and he might do the same thing he did to Lucius; attack a loved one.

No. He told no one of Sophia, and he never planned to. He wanted to keep her as far away from trouble as possible.

But then again, was Hogwarts even safe? Now that Voldemort had control of it? Maybe he didn't want Sophia to go back to Hogwarts.

Draco shuddered at the thought of Sophia encountering a flash of green light.

No. He wouldn't allow it. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe. She was all that mattered.

_Knock knock knock._

Draco's head whipped up. He had lost track of time. He had been in his room thinking for ten minutes. Whoops.

"Come in," he mumbled. Narcissa entered, arms crossed, holding the opposite arm, like she was trying to keep herself together. She meandered over to his bed smiling at him. Draco was livid right now, how could she be smiling?

"Draco," she said as she sat down beside him on the bed. "I know you're upset about not going back to Hogwarts and I'm so sorry. But those are his orders. I don't know his reasoning behind his decision, but what he says goes." Huh, Draco knew why he didn't want Draco to go back to Hogwarts. This was his punishment. It finally came. But it seemed too insignificant of a punishment…there must be more to it.

"Yea I know," Draco said with indifference.

"And, what you said a few minutes ago…about me wanting you to be safe and about the Unbreakable Vow…I just wanted to let you know that I love you."

"I know."

"Well, if you know then why are you so against me wanting you to be safe?" Narcissa demanded.

"What?" Draco was utterly confused by his mother's statement.

"I only made that Unbreakable Vow with Severus to protect you, because I love you."

"That's not true."

"What do you mean _'That's not true'_?! Of _course_ it's true!"

"I mean 'That's not true' as in you didn't make the vow just to protect me. That's rubbish," he scowled at her.

Her mouth fell open and she stared at her son in disbelief.

"Draco Scorpius Malfoy!" Draco grimaced at his middle name. Ugh. Ghastly. "That is _not_ rubbish!" He continued to glare at the floor. "Well, if that's not the reason why I made the vow, what was it then?"

With Draco's eyes fixated on the ground, he simply stated, "Because you didn't think I could do it."

Narcissa gawked at his proclamation. When she didn't respond to that, he continued on in a fierce yet calm manner, "You didn't believe in me. You thought I couldn't kill him. So you figured you'd have Snape kill him just so that he _would_ get killed by _someone_, so that the Dark Lord wouldn't go mad that the job wasn't at least done. That vow was a back up plan you knew you needed, because you knew I would fail. Well lucky you, you were right." He got up off the bed and staggered over to the bulky armchair facing his desk, and plopped down in it.

They both sat there in silence for five minutes.

"Draco I—"

"Mum. Don't tell me it's not true."

Narcissa didn't say one word. His voice struck her with,

"So the truth finally comes out."

She stood up, in a daze from what her son had accused her of, and walked right on out the door.

"Yea. That's what I thought."


	7. Visitors

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Visitors**

* * *

_September…_

_October…_

_November…_

_December…_

_January…_

_February…_

_March…_

_April 11…_

"I'm going to go bloody nuts," Draco moaned out loud to himself. He had been cooped up in Malfoy Manor for practically six months now and he was not allowed to leave for any reason. Nothing ever happened and life was dull. The only time Draco had seen Voldemort again was when a meeting was held at his house for the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord.

He hadn't even spoken to Draco, he merely glared. Draco cringed at seeing the man he most feared, and knew Voldemort saw him. He probably took great pleasure in knowing how much he frightened Draco.

"Draco! Come here now!" his mother's voice rung throughout the hallway.

"What does she want now…" he groaned. He slumped down the staircase with a scowl on his face and when he saw his father standing there in the hallway with and eager expression on his face, Draco became totally perplexed. "What?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Someone has just arrived at the gates, Snatchers. And they think they've caught Harry Potter."

At the sound of the name, Draco's stomach lurched and his entire body became numb.

"H—Harry Potter?" he stammered.

"And two others," Lucius answered, even more thrilled.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger…

"They're coming in a few seconds Draco and we need you to recognize them if you can."

"Go sit in the living room," Narcissa demanded grimly. That was the first time his mother had talked to him like that. She usually didn't talk to him at all, out of shame, or talked to him like she was groveling at his feet. But never this…_cold_. Lucius took Draco roughly by the arm and hauled him into the sitting room.

"Sit down Draco," he ordered. Draco did as he was told, too dead to resist or even to ask any questions.

He had wanted some excitement…but not _this_.

He was petrified. Not of Harry, or Ron, or Hermione. Not for their lives.

He was petrified that they were _here_. Because if it _was_ Harry Potter…then that would mean…_he_ would be summoned. And Draco would have to bear the Dark Lord again…

"What is this?" he could hear his mother's bitter voice demand.

"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" called a gruff voice.

"Who are you?"

"You know me! Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter!" Draco shivered at the thought of Fenrir Greyback. When Draco had let the Death Eaters into the school at the end of his sixth year, Greyback had come. And Draco wasn't too happy about that.

"I know 'e's swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im! If you look a bit closer, you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see the girl? The Mudblood who's been traveling around with 'im, ma'am. There's no doubt it's 'im, and we've got 'is wand as well! 'Ere, ma'am," another voice insisted.

"Bring them in," Narcissa commanded. Draco heard countless footsteps entering the entrance hall. "Follow me. My son, Draco, is home for his Easter holidays—" Draco heard her lie right through her teeth. She must be ashamed of him for being locked up in this house. He quivered with anger. "—If that is Harry Potter, he will know."

Oh great. Now he had to face his enemy and his little followers.

Lucius stood up from his armchair and Draco followed his father's actions. He could see Fenrir and some other mangy people, and then he saw Dean Thomas, a goblin, and the three people Draco most wanted far away from him.

"What is this?" Lucius inquired, putting on a façade.

"They say they've got Potter. Draco, come here." This is it.

The person who was suspected of being Potter did not look directly into the eyes of Draco. He knew instantly it was Potter, but he wished it wasn't.

"Well, boy?" Fenrir grinded his razor-sharp teeth. Draco stared at Potter and wondered how he got his face so distorted. It was massive and pink, and every aspect of his face was deranged.

He hesitated to say.

"Well, Draco? Is it? Is it Harry Potter?" Lucius asked with an fervent voice.

"I can't—I can't be sure." He too, did not want to look at Potter in the eyes, for fear that he might recognize Draco's panic.

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!" Draco was disgusted with his father's excitement. "Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv—"

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" Fenrir growled.

Forgiven? The Malfoy's would be _forgiven_? And maybe…maybe Draco could go back to Hogwarts…and see…_Sophia_.

"Of course not, of course not!" Lucius was getting annoyed. He crept closer to Potter and observed his swollen face. "What did you do to him?"

"That wasn't us."

"Looks more like a Stinging Jinx to me," Lucius concluded. That's what it was…

"There's something there, it could be the scar, stretched tight…Draco, come here, look properly!" he ordered. He irritated Draco. He put up with his father for seventeen years. Yet he was still intimidated by him. "What do you think?"

Draco ambled over to Potter and looked him right in his squinty eyes. Draco wanted his family to be forgiven, wanted it so bad. But he didn't want to have to come face to face with Voldemort again.

"I don't know." And he sauntered back over to the fireplace, still unsure of what he wanted.

"We had better be certain, Lucius. Completely sure that it is Potter, before we summon the Dark Lord—" Draco winced. "—They say this is his," she said, examining Potter's blackthorn wand. "…but it does not resemble Ollivander's description….If we are mistaken, if we call the Dark Lord here for nothing…Remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?" Draco shuddered. He had tried to suppress that memory.

"What about the Mudblood, then?" Fenrir snarled. He twirled around the three that were bound together so Hermione was facing forward.

"Wait. Yes—yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! I saw her picture in the _Prophet_! Look, Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?" He knew it was her…

"I…"

Forgiveness…freedom…

"…maybe…"

…Hogwarts…Sophia…

"…yeah."

"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" Lucius barked, walking over to face Ron. "It's them, Potter's friends—" Well duh. "—Draco, look at him, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's his name—?"

He wished they would stop calling his name and asking him to examine his peers. He knew it was Ron and faced the fire with his back to Potter, Granger, and Weasley, and replied, "Yeah. It could be."

A door abruptly opened and Draco wheeled around to see who had come. It wasn't the Dark Lord…but it was still someone unpleasant.

"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?" Draco spotted Potter glowering at Bellatrix and realized that both himself and Potter wanted Bellatrix as far away as possible. That's one thing they had in common. And it was repulsing to have _anything _in common with _Potter_.

"But surely, this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?" Bellatrix hissed.

"Yes, yes, it's Granger!" Lucius was ecstatic. "And beside her, we think, Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"

"Potter?" Bellatrix was bewildered. "Are you sure?" she asked as she eyed Potter suspiciously. "Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!" She slid her left sleeve up her arm and there was the Dark Mark imprinted on her skin.

"I was about to call him!" His hand clenched around her wrist, restraining her from sending for Voldemort. "_I_ shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority—" Draco knew his father wanted to summon Voldemort so that he could take more of the credit.

"Your authority!" she hissed, attempting releasing Lucius' grip by jerking her hand. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!" she snarled.

"This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy—" Lucius argued.

"Begging your pardon, _Mr. _Malfoy, but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold—"

Draco found it amusing to watch these adults fight over Potter. Draco personally wanted his father to be the one to summon Voldemort, but only because that would allow him to go back to Hogwarts…

"Gold!" Bellatrix cackled, writhing, still trying to free herself from Lucius. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his—of—"

She stopped mid-sentence to stare at a sword that one of the other Snatchers was holding. Lucius flung Bellatrix's hand and lifted up his sleeve when she shrieked, "STOP! Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!" Lucius' finger suspended over his Dark Mark at Bellatrix's command. "What is that?" she sneered.

"Sword," grumbled the Snatcher.

"Give it to me."

"It's not yorn, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it," it resisted.

Draco saw a flash of red light and the Snatcher fell to the ground, stunned, by Bellatrix. He wished he could perform spells without having to say the words.

One of the other Snatchers cried out, "What d'you think you're playing at, woman?!"

"Stupefy!" He was down. "Stupefy!" Another one down. She was going crazy. She stunned every Snatcher but Fenrir. She glared at him with her fierce eyes, and her hand clutched around the sword. "Where did you get his sword?" She snatched his wand from him.

"How dare you?" he growled. "Release me, woman!"

"Where did you find this sword? Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"

"It was in their tent. Release me, I say!" Fenrir snarled. Bellatrix beckoned her wand and Fenrir was back on his feet, but he cowered behind an armchair.

"Draco, move this scum outside." Bellatrix gestured towards the stunned Snatchers on the floor. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

Haven't got the guts…?! Draco wanted to kill her.

"Don't you dare speak to Draco like—" His mother was… _defending_ him? He hoped she wasn't trying to earn back his trust or anything.

"Be quiet!" Bellatrix screeched. "The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!"

What was the big _deal_?

Bellatrix inspected the sword and veered to face the captives. "If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed. The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself…But if he finds out…I must…I must know…"

What was she ranting on about? Merlin, he despised his aunt.

"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my—" Narcissa tried to say but she was interrupted by Bellatrix again.

"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" She was frantic, bloody mad, and fire shot from her wand and down onto the floor, burning a hole in the rug. Narcissa stood there silently for a second, and then spoke to Fenrir,

"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."

"Wait." What did she want _now_? "All except…except for the Mudblood."

"NO!" Ron bellowed. Draco's head snapped towards him, wondering he had yelled. Then he realized it. Weasley was in love with Granger the Mudblood. Disgusting. "You can have me, keep me!" he insisted. Draco's face twisted and he couldn't imagine giving his life for a filthy Mudblood.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them—yet." She threw Fenrir's wand to him and she took out a silver knife. She used it to cut Granger free from the rest of them and lugged her by the hair to the middle of the living room. Fenrir took the rest of the prisoners and they all disappeared down the hallway that led to the door of the basement.

A few seconds later a voice shouted out, "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Draco just stood by his armchair, waiting for Bellatrix to ask her questions, knowing that if Granger told her what she didn't want to hear, then she was going to get it. "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Weasley shouted again.

"Where did you get this sword?!" Bellatrix demanded.

"I-I don't know…" Granger quivered.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? _Where?_" She twisted the hair on Granger's head and she gasped in pain.

"We found it—we found it—PLEASE!" Bellatrix was nearly pulling the strands from her head.

"Tell the truth!" Suddenly, the memory of Bellatrix asking him the same question burst into his head. It was a horrible memory, and once Bellatrix had screamed that, Draco actually began feeling…_pity_ for Granger.

"I am! I am!" Granger panted.

"You are lying filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts!"

Draco knew what it was like to be tormented by Bellatrix.

"Tell the truth, _tell the truth_!" Granger writhed on the ground, and a blood-curdling scream came from her as the Cruciatus Curse hit her.

"HERMIONE!" Weasley roared from down below.

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth, or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"

"We didn't take anything! We didn't even go inside your vault, I swear!"

"LIAR! FLITHY MUDBLOOD LIES!" Draco gaped at Bellatrix's insaneness. Granger screamed again from another blow of the curse.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!" Narcissa and Lucius were in the corner of the room, not far from where Draco stood, Lucius holding Narcissa. But they were not at all pained to watch the torture session. Their faces were indifferent, cold masks.

Granted, Draco loathed Granger, but he didn't at all like to watch someone being tortured.

Did that make him…no. He mustn't think like that. That's weak. Pathetic.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"

"How did you get into my vault? Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"We only met him tonight! We've never been inside your vault…" She was sobbing like crazy. "It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

A _copy_? And she expects Bellatrix to believe_ that?_

"A copy? Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find out easily!" Lucius piped in. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

Was his father _serious? _Did he actually believe what Granger was telling them? But he did as he was told.

He moved into the passageway and stopped at the door. He scampered down the stairs, in a rush because he didn't want to upset his aunt even more, and stopped at the door. He let out a sigh and tried to speak in an intimidating voice, "Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill you!" Damnit. His voice was shaky.

He swung open the door and stepped inside. He was surprised to find that they had done what he had told them to do. He felt a surge of strength and he stepped forward with determination. He grasped the goblin's arm and yanked him towards the door. The door closed shut behind them and they began ascending the stairway.

A noise. What was that? They were probably just trying to escape. Or mess with his mind…he didn't bother to go check. He didn't want to face them again, not if they were planning something.

Wow. He was weak. And he began loathing himself again.

They walked through the dimly lit hallway and another horrific scream echoed through the passageway. They made their way back into the sitting room, where Bellatrix, Lucius, Narcissa, and Greyback were waiting for his return, along with a few Snatchers on the floor here and there.

Bellatrix ignored Draco and the goblin for a few seconds, still interrogating Granger. Again she cried out.

His aunt turned her head to Draco and the goblin and let Granger lye there on the floor. "Come forward filth." Bellatrix held out the sword in front of her, scowling. The goblin stepped forward, as he was told, and Bellatrix said, "I want you to tell me whether this sword is a fake or not."

"Well….uh, alright then. That's easy enough. Lemme see," the goblin named Griphook replied. He reached out to the take sword from Bellatrix when a noise came from the cellar.

"What was that?" Lucius burst out. "Did you hear that? What was that noise in the cellar?"

"Draco—no, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!" Narcissa called out. Draco wondered why she changed her mind.

Everything went into complete silence. They all stood there, not moving an inch, not speaking one word, barely breathing. Wormtail made his way to the entrance of the basement and they could hear him shout, "Stand back. Stand away from the door. I am coming in."

Silence.

"What is it Wormtail?" Lucius asked.

"Nothing!" Wormtail replied. "All fine!"

"Well then, goblin, here. Take it and look," Bellatrix's attention yet again on the sword and Griphook.

He took it from her bony hands, and examined it. He looked absolutely terrified, and Draco figured it was just because he was in a room full of Voldemort's followers.

He scrutinized and studied the sword for five minutes. Bellatrix couldn't keep still. Throughout the five minutes, she kept repeating herself but he just replied with, "Hold on…mam…this takes a little bit."

Finally she asked one more time and then he answered, "No. It is a fake." Draco's mouth dropped by a fraction without him realizing it. He quickly closed it and continued to watch the scene that was laid in front of him.

"Are you sure? Quite sure?" She was out of breath.

"Yes," he answered simply. Bellatrix's body relaxed and she exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Good." She flicked her wand and a slash cut into Griphook's face and he fell to the floor in a cry of pain. "And now, we call the Dark Lord!" she cried gleefully.

Draco found it odd, almost a little sick, how she could hurt someone and then sound so jolly.

She lifted her left sleeve and her forefinger glided across her Dark Mark.

He was coming.

Draco shivered, thankfully no one noticed his fearfulness, and Bellatrix pronounced, "And I think we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" a voice cried out from the hallway. Weasley charged into the room and cried "_Expelliarmus!_"

Where had he gotten that wand? Then Draco remembered…Wormtail had never come back upstairs.

Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand and Potter caught it, who had come into the room chasing after his friend.

"_Stupefy!_" Potter pointed his wand at Lucius and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Draco, his mother, and Fenrir shot spells out from their wands everywhere.

It was chaotic.

"_Stupefy! Expelliarmus!_" But he missed again and again.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix's high screech silencing them all. She held the silver knife to Granger, who was unconscious, and its point was at her throat. "Drop your wands," she murmured. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!" Both Weasley and Potter stood still, not wanting their friend to die.

"I said drop them!" she shrieked, digging the edge of the knife into Hermione's throat. A trickle of blood began sliding down her neck and Potter shouted, "All right!" Both dropped their wands and their hands flew up to their shoulders with open palms. Good! Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

Draco hurried over to the wands and snatched them up, and bringing them to his aunt.

"Now, Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight." Weasley's and Potter's eyes widened at Bellatrix's words, and as soon as she finished her sentence a sound came from above. Everyone in the room glanced upward at the chandelier that was now shaking violently. And then, it fell.

It lay right above where Bellatrix was standing and she let out a scream and jumped aside right as it fell on Griphook and Granger. Crystal shards flew in every direction, cutting Draco in the face. His hands flew to his cheek where a deep wound had been cut and he cursed.

He noticed Weasley pulling Granger out from underneath the now broken chandelier. His attention being averted to these two, Potter pounced on him and ripped the three wands from his hands.

"Curse you, Potter!" he shouted, but his voice was drowned out by Potter yelling, "_Stupefy!_" at Greyback, using all three wands. All of a sudden, a pair of hands grabbed Draco from behind and hauled him over to the side of the room.

"Draco!" Narcissa cried.

"I'm fine mum! Damnit, we have to get the wands!" But Bellatrix was already on her feet with the knife in hand, but Narcissa's wand was pointed at the doorway. Standing there, was someone Draco remembered from his childhood, up until his second year at Hogwarts. Dobby the house elf. Narcissa called out,

"Dobby!" Everyone froze. The commotion ceased. "You! _You_ dropped the chandelier—?"

"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he yelped, as she shook his shriveled finger at Narcissa.

"Kill him, Cissy!" But an ear-splitting crack was heard and Narcissa's wand flew out of her hand and disappeared on the other side of the living room. "You dirty little monkey!" Bellatrix shrieked. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"

"Dobby has no master!" he squeaked. That's right, because _Potter_ tricked Draco's father into freeing him. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

"Ron, catch—and GO!" Potter bellowed while tossing a wand to Weasley. He grabbed Griphook out from under the debris and slung him over his shoulder. The goblin still had the sword! But it was a fake…

NO! It couldn't be! They were liars…they _always _lied. They were working with the goblin. And even his _aunt_ was foolish enough to believe him!

But he couldn't move. He was frozen. He couldn't speak. His throat was closed.

Potter clutched onto Dobby's hand and they began to Disapparate. Bellatrix flew at them with the silver knife and thrust it into the swirling dust.

What ever happened to that silver knife? Who knows. Draco's face was paler than ever, and he couldn't believe that once again, Potter and his friends escaped their doom.


	8. Released

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Released**

* * *

"WHAT?"

"I-I'm sorry My Lord…there is no excuse. I will _never ever_ let it happen again." Bellatrix cowered on the ground.

"Bellatrix…my most honorable Death Eater…you displease me…"

"No! Please My Lord! Forgive me for my failures!" she sobbed hysterically. Her face was touching the carpet, tears dripping down her cheeks, her black hair twisted and tangled, laying across her back and falling onto the floor beside her.

"Bellatrix…he was in your grasp…and you let him escape…I don't know what I shall do with you now. Believe me, I do not want to punish you…"

"Please My Lord! I'll do anything…_anything_!" she bawled.

Voldemort was silent. He stared at the Death Eater who he had expected to be able to keep everything in order, but had failed.

"CRUCIO!"

Fenrir plummeted to the floor and twitched for thirty seconds. He then lay there fearful of Voldemort.

"Bellatrix…my dear, dear, Bellatrix…you do not know how lucky you are…"

"OH MY LORD!" she gasped. "I DO! I DO! THANK YOU MY LORD! THANK YOU MASTER!"

"And you three…"

Gulp.

"You are all _very_ lucky that I did not expect anything from any of you…I should just kill you all now."

The three Malfoys went stiff.

"Ha ha…" he laughed scornfully, enjoying their terror. "Get out of my sight. All of you."

He was livid, but did not show his anger. This scared Draco even more.

Fenrir scampered out the door, leaving his fellow Snatchers behind, and the three Malfoys and Bellatrix turned to walk upstairs.

"You…" he turned to Draco. He spun around to face the being he dreaded so much.

His face flushed and his hands trembled as he spoke, "Y-Yes, M-My Lord?"

"Go."

"Excuse me, M-My Lord?"

"Go. Pack."

What? Pack…for what?

Before Draco could ask 'what', Narcissa took hold of his arm and pulled him up onto the staircase. He followed his parents, Bellatrix trudging behind, and Narcissa led the way to his bedroom. Lucius and Bellatrix continued walking down the hallway, and Narcissa shut the door.

"Draco—" she began, and loud crashing noises could be heard from below. Voldemort was furious. "Oh…" she groaned.

"What did he mean?" Draco whispered.

"Pack, love, you'll be going back to Hogwarts soon."

Draco gaped at his mother, completely and utterly baffled.

"_What?!_" he exclaimed.

"The Dark Lord wants you to return to Hogwarts," she answered bluntly.

"_Why?_"

"I do not know Draco, but do not question the Dark Lord's commands."

She was right.

She exited the room and Draco sat there wondering why in the world would Voldemort want him to return to Hogwarts?

Did he have a plan? Did he want Draco to be there to spy?

_Did he want Draco to kill someone else?_

No, impossible. Voldemort would never give Draco another task like that. It would be pointless and useless to him. He didn't think Draco could kill someone…not after the incident…

But he could. He can. He can now. He wished he could prove it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Five days later…Voldemort has left...he is long gone...the Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange are the only inhabitants of the Manor once again…_

"Why do I have to wait until tomorrow? The holiday break ended _yesterday_," Draco sneered at his mother.

"I have told you before, Draco! Do _not_ question him!" Narcissa hissed. "Be grateful that he is letting you go back!"

"Now _that_ doesn't make any sense. Why in the world would he let me go back?"

"Maybe he thinks it's best."

Draco snorted.

He lugged himself up to the second floor and once again entered the bedroom he couldn't be happier he was leaving.

He will see Sophia. Tomorrow.

Tell her he was okay.

Tell her he was sorry.

Hold her and make sure she was safe.

If worse came to worse, he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Hogwarts..._

"No! Please! STOP!" a high squeaky voice pleaded.

A scream echoed through the corridors. Sophia's head whipped around, wondering why someone was yelling in the corridors when it was ten o' clock at night, and she began fast walking in that direction.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" bellowed a deep voice.

"PLEASE! HE'S MY LITTLE BROTHER! STOP!" cried the same voice.

Another scream.

Sophia quickened her pace.

The girl began crying, weeping.

Sophia turned the corner and there stood Amycus, the "new" Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and everyone knew him and his sister, Alecto, were really Death Eaters. They were feared throughout the school.

He cackled again.

A little boy lay crouched in a corner jerking and having convulsions. Tears were flooding through his eyes, and his sister was sobbing, not too far from where he was. Amycus stood there, with his lop-sided smile, pointing his wand directly at the small boy.

Sophia didn't know exactly who the brother and sister were, but she did know that the boy was a first year and the sister was only a second year. This must be the worst time to have your first year at Hogwarts, the wonderful school of witchcraft and wizardry; now entirely torn apart.

She didn't care. She didn't care anymore. About anything. She was losing control. Losing her mind.

"_Stupefy!_" The words just blurted out and her hand acted on its own, retrieving the wand from beneath her robes.

Amycus crumpled to the ground, and the boy's tremors died away.

"HEY!" yelled another voice.

Oh no.

Sophia hadn't seen Alecto in the shadows. Her laughter had been so soft…she couldn't hear her…she didn't see her!

"RUN!" Sophia screamed at the siblings. They followed her orders and ran as fast as they could down the corridor. "_Expelliarmus!_"

But she was too late.

"_Stupefy!_"

Sophia dropped her wand. Her face froze, her body went rigid, and she plummeted to the ground.


	9. Painful Discovery

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Painful Discovery**

**

* * *

**

It was ten-thirty at night, and Draco was sitting across from his father in the living room. He was experimenting with his new wand, he had to get another one because _Potter_ stole his, and Lucius was reading _The Daily Prophet_. Bellatrix was leaning over the fireplace, her hands sustaining her balance, still grieving over her failures to the Dark Lord.

"Mudbloods…disgusting…" Lucius muttered under his breath. He folded the newspaper in half and asked with an air of arrogance, "Isn't that right, Draco?"

"Yes, Father," Draco replied, not really paying attention to him.

_Knock knock knock._

There had been so many visitors these past few days at Malfoy Manor, and Draco, to be honest, was getting quite irritated.

Narcissa's voice could be heard from the entrance hallway, exhaustion evident in her voice.

"_Alecto_? What do you _want_? It's ten-thirty at night and you are disturbing my family. This better be important."

"Well…not as important as capturing the Potter boy…but I have something that might peak your interest."

What the bloody hell was she going on about? Merlin, Alecto could be so creepy sometimes.

"What is it?" Narcissa asked reluctantly.

There were whispers that Draco couldn't make out, and Narcissa gasped ever so quietly.

Lucius was ignoring the current situation, not caring at all what Alecto and Amycus were up to, and continued to pester Draco.

"Four more Mudbloods died yesterday," he scoffed.

Draco replied, "Why bother reading about them? Who cares about filthy Mudbloods?" He laughed at his own statement, and he hadn't even noticed Narcissa had entered the room with Alecto, and Amycus following not far behind carrying something on his shoulder. He dropped it onto the floor and grunted disdainfully.

The thing he had dropped was a person.

"You're right, Draco. That's very true," Lucius continued proudly.

"Merlin, I hate Mudbloods…" Draco sneered. He looked down at the lump on the floor, and it moved.

It sat up and looked directly at Draco as soon as it lifted its head.

_Sophia._

She stared into Draco's eyes, a single tear trickling down her rouged cheek. Her face was bruised, her hair was knotted, and her lip was bleeding.

_Sophia._

_No…_

"And what is this?" Narcissa inquired, her nose wrinkling at the scum on her clean carpet.

"This one decided to _attack_ us," Amycus jeered. Bellatrix and Lucius glanced up at Amycus and Alecto with curiosity.

"_Attack _you?" Lucius clarified.

"Yeah, Amycus was playing around with a first year boy and a second year girl, quite amusing actually…the girl was crying her head off, and the boy was twitching like crazy—"

_No. Not here. She can't be here._

"Alecto! We don't care about your petty entertainments. Get to the point," Narcissa interrupted, obviously annoyed.

"She came up on Amycus and just stupefied him! I don't know where she gets off doing something like that, and to a _teacher!_ The little brat…" Alecto grumbled. She was quite manly for a woman.

Amycus spoke next, "From what Alecto told me, this little monster told the two younger brats to run, and then tried to use expelliarmus on Alecto here, but my sister was too fast for her," he sniggered.

"I stupefied her and brought her here because we didn't know where else to bring her," Alecto explained.

"Why is she in such bad condition?" Lucius interrogated.

"Well…Amycus got a little angry…and he took it out on her," Alecto chortled.

"Why do you think we would want anything to do with this girl?" Narcissa asked. Bellatrix just stared into space, surveying Sophia with indifferent eyes.

"Well…" Alecto laughed. Amycus snickered and finished with,

"We thought you might like to have her. Specifically, _you_, Bellatrix." She was confused, and it showed on her expression. "This filthy Mudblood somehow got under the radar and wasn't brought to the Ministry like she should've been."

Draco's mouth fell open. And he didn't bother to close it this time.

_Mudblood…? No…she can't be a…impossible…but she…no…_

"What was that?" The treacherous smile spread across Bellatrix's face once again. It was the first time she had smiled in days.

_NO! NO!_

"This girl's a Mudblood? But how did she avoid being taken to the Ministry?" Narcissa asked angrily.

"Cissy, calm down. It's alright. Who _cares_…this will be _fun_." Bellatrix stepped forward to take a closer look at Sophia.

_No…don't touch her…please…no…not Sophia…_

"What is your name?" she demanded.

_Mudblood…but…why had she never mentioned that…but if she's a Mudblood…no…_

Sophia was no longer staring at Draco, but staring at Bellatrix. Sophia was silent and did not utter a word.

"_I said_, what is your name?" Bellatrix reiterated.

Sophia was scowling, and then she spat at Bellatrix.

"YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE MONSTER!" Bellatrix shrieked. _No one_ spat at Bellatrix, unless you wanted to be in a great deal of pain.

_NO SOPHIA…don't do anything stupid!_

Draco wanted to shout out, but he couldn't. What could he do?

Bellatrix bent down and grabbed Sophia by the chin with one hand and glared into her eyes. "Answer—my—question."

"S-Sophia Dune."

"What house?"

"Ravenclaw."

Bellatrix grunted.

"Could you please let go of my chin? You're hurting me."

_This girl really is mad…_

"Oh ho ho, a little smart arse aren't we now?" Bellatrix squeezed harder, digging her nails into Sophia's face…just like she had done to Draco…

She threw Sophia's head to the right and stood up straight.

"Where did you ever get the impression that you could cast spells at a teacher? Nevermind a Death Eater?"

"They were hurting students."

"And that gives you the right to stupefy and disarm them? I think not…" Bellatrix was having fun, too much fun.

Draco just couldn't believe that Sophia…the girl he lo—

She was a…a Mudblood?

"You disgust me…you filthy Mudblood…"

"Don't call me that…" Sophia said through gritted teeth, glowering at Bellatrix.

Sophia spat at her feet once more.

"_CRUCIO!_"

_NO!_

Sophia screamed in agony.

It was the most painful sound Draco had ever heard. He couldn't take it…he couldn't listen to Sophia's screams…

"Are you sorry?"

"No…" Sophia huffed.

"_CRUCIO!_"

_No…no, no, no, no, NO!_

Sophia's body convulsed and she shrieked so loud that Draco thought his mind, body, and soul were about to burst.

"YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD! YOU DESERVE TO DIE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM! _CRUCIO!_"

Draco was crying out in his head for Bellatrix to stop torturing Sophia. He couldn't watch her twitch on the ground like that…so helpless…

Bellatrix cackled. She was laughing, _enjoying_ this. She really was sick.

"Ha ha! You're the second Mudblood this week! I must be _very_ lucky…" she snickered. Her moods changed so rapidly, making her seem completely deranged and utterly insane. Her eyes were wide with exhilaration, and the pleasure was clear on her twisted face.

Draco hadn't realized he was wincing every time Sophia's screeches filled the room. His face was contorted into a mask of pain, and then a voice shouted out over Sophia's screams,

"BELLA!" Narcissa was looking straight at Draco. She quickly turned her head back to her sister. Bellatrix ended the curse and glared at her sister. Sophia lay in curled in a ball on the floor, gasping for air. "Stop."

"And why should I, Cissy?" Bellatrix sneered.

"It's late." Bellatrix glared at her sister and exhaled slowly.

"Fine, Cissy." Bellatrix lowered her wand, spun around to look at Sophia laying there on the floor and snapped, "As for the Mudblood…"

_No…don't hurt her…NO!_

"We'll lock her in the cellar." Draco looked at his mother, confused.

"What?!" Bellatrix sneered. "Why?"

"I have some questions for her in the morning."

"Like _what_?" Bellatrix's right eyebrow rose and her lip was curved up on one side.

"How she managed to slip under our noses, and wasn't caught and brought to the Ministry," Narcissa answered calmly.

_What was Narcissa doing? Why was she doing this? Did she see Draco? She had been looking right at him…did she see…could she see his agony...? _

…_oh no…_

Bellatrix surrendered to her sister, "Fine. You're right Cissy. The Dark Lord might like to know that information…and maybe we can make it up to him if she knows something…we'll be forgiven…_I'll _be forgiven…" her eyes were full of hope. "Well, anyways, there must have been a flaw in the system, or one of the _others_ isn't working as hard as they _should_ be."

She paused.

"Draco."

_Uh oh._

"I just realized something! Do you _know_ this little snot nose devil?"

_Yes…_

"Yes," he answered simply.

_And I lo—no. I can't…she's a…a…_

"Hm…is she in your year?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever talked to her before?"

_Yes…_

"No."

"Do you know anything about her?"

_Yes…_

"No."

"Well then, I'll let you deal with the filthy thing since you care about questioning her further," she spoke to her sister. "I've had my share of the fun," she said with a malicious gleam in her eye. She strolled out of the room, up the staircase, and was out of sight.

"Out," Narcissa ordered to Alecto and Amycus. They looked unhappy and not very entertained by the whole event. They slumped towards the door and were gone. "Draco. To bed. Your father and I will take care of this mess."

Mess? Thing? Brat? Monster? _Mudblood_.

Sophia's body stirred, and her head slowly lifted to look at Draco one last time before he left. She _was _a mess. She looked so…_hurt_. Her eyes were pleading. They bore into him, and he couldn't stand it. He looked away, nodded to his parents, who thankfully weren't paying any attention, and made his way up to his room.

He walked along in the darkness of the hallway, too shocked by the night's events.

"Was that a good show?"

Draco whipped his head in every direction, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Did you like that Draco?" Bellatrix was leaning against the far wall smiling at him. But it wasn't a nice smile…it was…_evil_.

"I don't know."

"Of course you didn't," she jeered. "You are nothing like your parents, and you are just despicable. I, unlike you, enjoy the suffering and pain of others, but for someone reason, you're deranged, Draco. Useless."

She walked off into her bedroom and shut the door.

Draco sat on his bed hunched over, his hands holding his head.

So much had happened this week. First Potter and his friends, and now…_she _was here. _Here_. But he was going back tomorrow…why didn't she just stay out of trouble until then?

But no. He shouldn't care. He couldn't care.

She's a _Mudblood_.

A filthy, dirty, disgusting Mudblood. And a liar. Why hadn't she told him this before? Then he never would have—

He heard the door to his parents' bedroom close and without thinking he got up and creaked his own door open. He crept into the murky corridor and slipped downstairs.

He then found himself staring straight at the basement door, his hand resting on the knob. It was trembling, violently.

He shouldn't be doing this right now…he'll get _killed_.

But he has to. He must. Even though he she was a Mudblood…even though he didn't love her, he still couldn't see her in pain again, or worse…_die_.

His hand moved on its own and the knob rotated to the right. The door scraped open. And there she was, leaning against the cement wall, her head slung forward.

She raised her head to see who had come in.

She saw him standing there.

All she did was stare.

Draco had nearly forgotten how to breathe. Forgot what he was going to say. He was shaking.

He whispered softly,

"_Sophia?_"


	10. Who's To Say?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Who's To Say?**

* * *

"Yes…it's me," she responded faintly. They stared at one another for a long moment, and Draco stepped forward and held out his hand. Sophia hesitated, but then grasped it and he lifted her onto her feet.

"Follow me," he whispered. She did as she was told and followed him, but cautiously. "You don't have to worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not like my aunt." He could feel the tension in her body disappear and she was at ease.

They climbed the stairs into the hallway and wandered into the massive kitchen.

"Through here," Draco ushered, pulling her out the backdoor. He led her through a battered bush and they walked a little ways to a dirt road leading into a town. They meandered a couple of yards until Draco felt it was safe to stop. He turned to her and gazed into her eyes.

She spoke for the first time in a while, "You're….you're alright?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, not knowing what she meant by that.

"Well…the last time I saw you, you were…well…erh, it's kind of hard to say actually." She couldn't get the words out, but Draco still knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Oh. That."

"Yes. About _that_. I don't know if I can ever trust you again, Draco. I was there and—"

"So you _were_ there?"

"Yes I _was_ there. But I saw you do it, Draco. And I don't know…I don't know…you're so confusing…I can't—" She broke off, weeping silently.

"Sophia…" he said almost inaudibly. "I didn't kill him." She glanced upward at him, puzzled, not comprehending what he had just told her.

"_What?_"

"I…I didn't kill Dumbledore."

"But…you_did_. I _saw_ you kill him! I was right there! I swear to Merlin!" she cried out.

"Ssh…quiet, or they'll hear you." She nodded, tears still flowing from her amber eyes. "I didn't kill him. Snape killed Dumbledore…because I…I couldn't do it."

"But I _saw_ you!"

"Well then, you saw wrong. Snape burst in and killed him."

Sophia's face blushed. "Oh no…that's right…I was knocked down to the floor by the other Death Eaters…I hit my head and I couldn't hear or see right…oh no…no, no, no…but all this time I thought…"

She didn't finish her sentence. What was it? What was she going to say? He needed to know.

"What?" he asked gently.

"I thought…_I_ was the cause of Dumbledore's death…" she faded out. Draco couldn't take in what he was hearing. _She_ thought _she_ had caused his death?

"_Why?_" he asked perplexedly.

"Because…you said that you fixed your problem all because…because of _me_." He couldn't do anything but gape at her. But she continued, "I'm the one who gave you more ingredients to disguise Crabbe and Goyle…I'm the one who encouraged you to keep trying to work out your problem…and you _did_. You fixed those damn cabinets! I'm the one who caused the Death Eaters to be able to enter Hogwarts!" She was becoming hysterical again. "I've lived practically a whole year thinking that I killed Dumbledore! And now you are telling me that you didn't kill him?"

"Ssh…" he whispered. She stood there sobbing for a few seconds, and finally gained control over her tears. She breathed at a normal pace and wiped her eyes with her mucky sleeve.

"I guess it doesn't matter. I still helped those Death Eaters get into the school."

"It's not your fault."

"Sure."

"Sophia, it's not your fault that that Snape killed Dumbledore. He would've died anyways. But you are at fault for something."

Sophia glanced up, yet again with that look of bewilderment.

"_You're_ the reason I couldn't do it." Anger and resentment suddenly began flowing throughout his body and mind.

"_What?_" she murmured, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

"It was all because of _you_ I didn't kill him," he hissed. Oh no, he was becoming angry again. But he didn't care. He let his emotions control him. "Now, because of _you_ my parents, my aunt, and the Dark Lord believe me to be pathetic and weak! I was given that task and I got so far, but I didn't do it…and I could've done it too if you hadn't been in my ear!"

"No…you would _never_ kill _anyone_…"

He shoved her comment aside pretending he had never even heard her. How would she know what he would do and not do? She was just like Bellatrix, already assuming that he didn't have the guts to kill anyone. "It's your fault Snape killed him instead of me! I would have killed him if you hadn't of whispered in my ear!"

"Well then why didn't you just do it?! Why did you listen to me!?" Sophia spat. She, too, was furious.

"Because—" He went still.

Silence.

"_Why…?_" she said more gently the second time around.

"Nothing."

He was angry with himself for saying such things to hurt her, but it was true. She had prevented him from killing Dumbledore…her words were so pleading…so tender and kind…

Draco all of a sudden blurted out,

"Listen, I'm sorry about my aunt. I hate her, I really do and I didn't want her to do that to you but there was nothing I could really do or she'd be suspicious as to why I didn't want her to hurt you because then she'd think I was your friend which I can't be because you're a—"

He stopped before he uttered the word.

"Go ahead. Say it. You've already said it before," she jeered, her eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"I heard you, Draco." She then repeated what he had said before in the living room, _"Why bother reading about them? Who cares about filthy Mudbloods? Merlin, I hate Mudbloods…_"

"Sophia, I—"

"Whatever, Draco. It's fine if that's how you feel. You aren't going to change your mind, so what's the use talking about it?"

"Sophia, I didn't say—"

"Draco, you don't have to defend yourself. It's fine, really. We'll go our separate ways, and forget about each other. Whatever, I don't care. I just don't care anymore."

She wasn't being fair! She wouldn't let him explain himself!

Besides, he could never _ever_ forget her…He didn't _want_ to…

"Sophia." His voice was firm, his face stoic. "You should have told me before. About you being a—a…"

"Go ahead. Say it."

"No."

Ugh. She was being so difficult!

"It's not fair. You never told me about your family or your blood."

"I didn't think it mattered!"

"Didn't you know me? Didn't you know who I was?"

"I…I…well, yes. I just never really…I dunno…I guess I never really thought about telling you," she stammered.

Silence.

Draco heaved a sigh. "I can't help the way I think. I was brought up that way. I can't just…_change_."

"That's exactly what I thought," she said apathetically, shrugging her shoulders.

GAH.

"Stop being so stubborn!"

"_I'm_stubborn? No one was_asking_ you to change!" she hollered

"I know no one is asking me to! But that doesn't mean I don't _want_ to!" he shouted.

Uh oh. He hadn't meant to let that slip.

Great. She was staring at him now with those eyes. They're glassy…oh no…a tear. This was just fantastic.

"Draco, I _wish_ you would just tell me what you feel…I don't know what you're thinking…and it's extremely aggravating. You are so confusing…and you always were…" she mumbled.

"Listen. Here is the deal Sophia. I'm letting you escape. I can't see my ghastly aunt torture you like that again, so I'm letting you go. Here, take my wand," he said holding his wand out on front of him for her to take.

"No!" she gasped. "I'm not going to take your—"

"I don't know what they did with yours and you'll need one! This one isn't even mine and it didn't work out for me. So…well, anyways—"

"What happened to yours?"

"Nothing…just…ugh._Potter_ took it," he sneered.

"Harry Potter was here?!"

"We don't have time!" he hissed.

She turned her head around to look down the dirt road and then looked back at Draco.

"What if they find out—"

"I'll take care of that." He muttered a spell as he traced the wand over his cheek. A gash appeared, but only bleeding slightly. He winced at the slight sting of pain.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this for me?" Her forehead was creased, her eyes full of question.

"I—just stop asking questions."

"Well maybe this one you won't be so afraid to admit," she snapped. His head whipped towards her and he stared.

How dare her! He was doing all this for her, risking his life for her, and she accuses him of lo—

Well he definitely didn't. She was a disgusting Mudblood.

She glared right back at him and continued to ask her question, "Why do you care about these people?"

"What people?" he sneered.

"_Those_people…those repulsive Death Eaters…and _him_…that revolting master of theirs…they are vile and cruel and absolutely sickening. I just don't understand why you want to be honored by them?!" she scorned. "You're so much better than th—"

Without listening to another word of what she had to say he raised his left sleeve up to his bicep.

She gasped and then choked on the air she rapidly inhaled.

There, bore on his left forearm, was the Dark Mark.

"No…" she panted. "No…you can't be a…no…"

His cold, hard eyes focused on her. Her right arm extended, her hand hovering over it, her fingers almost touching his skin.

A shriek of rage boomed from Malfoy Manor.

"No! My aunt is up! Go, Sophia!" His sleeve dropped down covering his arm again, but Sophia's eyes couldn't break from that spot. He shook his right hand with the wand in it to make her take it. Her gaze broke and she hastily snatched it and whipped around to begin running in the opposite direction.

"And Sophia!" he called out. She stopped dead in her tracks to hear what he had to say. "My blood is pure and yours is…dirty. I…I hope you understand that."

He was trying to tell her that they can't…no. It didn't even matter, because he didn't.

She spun around and her coffee-colored eyes stared straight into his icy grey eyes, the moon reflecting off a golden oval hanging around her neck. The locket.

"Who's to say who is pure, and who is dirty?"

And Draco watched her figure fade away and vanish within the shadows.


	11. Ashamed

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book.**

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"...)**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**Ashamed**

* * *

Shite. 

He was going to be in big trouble.

Worse than that, he was going to seem even more pathetic than before.

He was going to tell his family that Sophia stole his wand and escaped.

He was lying for _her_. To _save _her.

"She better be damn thankful…" he muttered as he ran to his home. As he sprinted, the cut on his cheek stung and he winced. "What I do for people…" he groaned.

Ha. Actually, that too was a lie. He had never really done anything for anyone.

…Except for her.

"_DRACO MALFOY!_" his aunt bellowed from the door. "_WHERE ARE YOU, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SCUM!_"

Damn her.

"Bitch…" he murmured under his breath. He finally reached the shabby bushes and climbed through them. There she was at the open doorway of the backdoor. Narcissa and Lucius appeared as though they had just emerged into the kitchen looking befuddled as to why Bellatrix was screaming her bloody head off.

"Draco Scorpius Malfoy!" Narcissa exclaimed. "What were you doing? Where have you been?" Her face gave the impression that she was irritated, but her voice was shaking with worry.

Ugh. Why did she always have to use that wicked middle name?

"_DRACO!_" Bellatrix screeched.

"You can all stop saying my name now, I'm here," he replied sarcastically. Bellatrix growled and crossed her arms.

"Where is she?"

"What?"

"DON'T 'WHAT' ME YOU LITTLE VERMIN!"

"She…escaped." For some reason, it was hard to get the words out.

"_Escaped did she? Hard to believe…_"

"She did."

"_And what's the story behind THAT?_" she hissed frantically.

"Why are you so angry, Bellatrix? It was just a useless Mudblood," Lucius pointed out.

"It's not _her_ I care about! It's the fact that she _escaped_…because she _shouldn't _have…this _son_ of yours either lost to a Mudblood…or the escape was done purposefully…"

"Don't accuse Draco of something you don't know he did for certain," Narcissa defended.

He was sick of them talking about him like he wasn't there at all so he spoke up and answered his aunt's question, "I heard a loud noise in the cellar so I went to go check on it. She tackled me as soon as I got through the door. She took my wand and ran. I chased after her but she kept shooting spells and curses at me. And then she apparated. Then you screamed."

He wasn't sure if he had lied well or not. He couldn't pay attention. All he could think about was what Bellatrix's reaction to the story would be. She would call him all sorts of nasty things. His parents would think him less honorable. He would be rubbish, hopeless, a waste of time.

"_Are you lying to me boy? Because if you are…I'll KILL you…"_ she said through gritted teeth, her eyes glowing.

"BELLA! NEVER speak to my son that way, EVER," Narcissa shouted at her sister.

"Oh, since when do you care, Cissy? You agree with me, right? He is worthless…he lost, Cissy…just like he lost to Dumbledore…he will always lose…because he is pitiful...he's a disgrace to the family…you see eye to eye with me, don't you, Cissy? You said so yourself…when you asked Severus to make that Unbreakable Vow…don't deny you said it Cissy…'_But he won't succeed! How can he…_" she mimicked.

Narcissa's cheeks became a brilliant red and she hissed at her sister, "Don't you dare turn this on me, Bella!"

The two sisters glowered at another and Narcissa turned to Draco and said grimly, "Draco. Go to bed. Now."

He hated them. Every single one of them.

He sat on his bed listening to his mother and his aunt battle it out and argue downstairs…

"You're just letting him off the hook?!" Bellatrix screeched.

"What are we _supposed_ to do?" Narcissa asked.

"PUNISH HIM!"

"For what?"

"FOR LETTING THAT WRETCHED CREATURE GO!"

"He already said he didn't _let_ her escape!"

"BUT SHE STILL ESCAPED NONE THE LESS, CISSY. LEARN TO PUNISH YOUR OWN DISHONORABLE SON. YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE THIS, CISSY, WHETHER YOU LIKE TO ADMIT IT OR NOT. HE IS A SPOILED BRAT. HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN. YOU SPOIL HIM TOO MUCH. HE IS NEVER PUNISHED."

"That's all you ever wanted to do when he was younger, was punish him!"

"EXACTLY. MAYBE THEN, HE WOULD BE ABLE TO FOLLOW ORDERS CORRECTLY!"

"MY SON FOLLOWS ORDERS VERY WELL, BELLA!" Narcissa now was yelling at the same volume as her sister. "STOP BEATING ON HIM FOR THAT!"

"YOU KNOW YOU'RE DISGRACED. YOU ARE SHAMEFUL OF HIM. YOU WISH HE DID KILL THAT GHASTLY HEADMASTER. I KNOW YOU ARE ASHAMED OF HIM, CISSY. JUST DON'T LIE. DON'T LIE TO ME, OR HIM. TELL HIM THE TRUTH. MAYBE THEN HE WILL LEARN, IF ANYTHING."

The shouting ceased at that moment.

Draco wanted to die right now. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything or anyone. He didn't care if Voldemort himself walked right into the room and killed him right then and there. Actually, he wished he would come in here and kill him.

He hated Bellatrix.

He hated Narcissa.

And he hated Lucius too.

He hated the whole lot of them.

Stomping feet ascended the staircase…heading down the hall…coming for his bedroom…

"YOU!" Bellatrix screamed thrashing open the door. "YOU DISGUSTING…VILE…REPULSIVE…USELESS…WORTHLESS…PATHETIC…FEEBLE…" The list went on and on as she tramped towards him. She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his bed and to his feet.

"I can't breathe, Bellatrix…" he said crudely.

"UGH!" She held her wand to his cut and it stung with the worst pain he had ever felt in his entire seventeen years of living. He screamed in pain.

"BELLATRIX WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY S—" Bellatrix slammed the door shut and locked it with a flick of her wand. Narcissa was banging the door, attempting to break it down.

"BELLATRIX!" Lucius bellowed.

"I CAN'T APPARATE INTO HIS ROOM, LUCIUS!" Narcissa cried.

"What _really_ happened…?" Bellatrix whispered through clenched teeth, barely heard over the shouts and yells of his two parents and the banging on the door. "Tell the truth this time you little bastard…"

"I already told you the truth…" he scoffed.

"Did you love that dirt?!" she sneered.

"No…she's a filthy Mudblood…" he huffed, trying to breathe with Bellatrix's hands squeezed around his throat.

"You do, you liar…"

"NO! I don't!"

"THEN WHY DID SHE ESCAPE?" she shouted. Her eyes were wide with fury.

"I don't kn—"

Before he could finish his testimony she threw him from herself and mumbled, "_Crucio…_" with a maniacal smile.

He roared in agony.

She laughed psychotically.

Every limb of his body was in pain. He felt as though the torturing would never end. He felt as though he would never stop suffering. It was the worst feeling he had ever had. The sting he had felt in the cut on his cheek was nothing compared to this.

Is this the misery Sophia had endured?

The misery every single person who has been cursed by the Cruciatus Cruse had gone through?

He twitched and writhed on the floor, feeling completely helpless and powerless.

Then it stopped.

The pain he thought would never stop came to an end.

"You're…you're bloody mad…psychotic…deranged is what you are…" he wheezed, struggling for air. He attempted to stand on his feet but Bellatrix shoved him back down to the floor.

"You disgust me."

And she apparated.

Who knows where to.

Who cares.

As long as she doesn't come back.

If he had the strength, and a wand, he would've killed her.

He had been abused by his aunt many times as a child, but never like that. She had lost it.

Narcissa and Lucius were still outside his door screaming their heads off and banging continuously. He didn't bother opening the door and shouted,

"She's gone! I'm fine!" It went silent.

"Draco?!" Narcissa gasped.

He said nothing.

"Open this door right now!" she demanded.

"Go away."

After two minutes of silence, to his surprise footsteps faded away down the hall. A door at the other end shut gently.

Draco, still kneeling on the floor, stared out the window at the skyline. He bared his teeth in a scowl and his eyebrows furrowed.

"If I don't get the chance, or the pleasure…I hope Harry Potter kills you."


	12. Eavesdropping

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text.**

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book.**

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…)**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**Eavesdropping**

* * *

"Draco!" Goyle shouted from across the Great Hall. 

For once Draco was proud of Goyle's stupidity, because every eye in the Great Hall focused on Draco. He wanted everyone to know that he was back, and wanted them to watch him enter triumphantly into the school.

But part of him wanted them to all look away. There was nothing to look at. He was nothing. A nobody.

But of course he was a somebody and of course he was something. You either groveled at his feet or hated his guts, which was fine with him. Because it was a mutual feeling.

"Goyle, wipe that stupid expression off your face," Draco jeered as he sat down to breakfast. Goyle looked more than happy to see Draco, but Crabbe seemed a little distant as the conversation continued.

"Where've you been? Me and Crabbe've been trying to send you owls but nothing ever came back."

"He probably didn't want anyone talking to me. As part of my_'punishment'_," Draco scoffed.

"Oh yea…" Crabbe wondered aloud. "What ever happened with you and…_him?_"

"I don't really know, to tell you the truth. He just made me stay home and he didn't allow me to come to Hogwarts. Who knows what he was thinking. It was an odd punishment," Draco explained in his usual sneering manner.

"And you don't know why he all of a sudden let you come back?" Crabbe was asking a lot of questions. Well, him and Goyle have always been the type to ask lots of questions.

"Yeah, I dunno why. It's strange. He's strange." Crabbe and Goyle both gasped.

"Draco! Don't say that! It could get you into big trouble," Goyle whispered.

"It doesn't matter, it's not like he's here watching us," he snickered, reaching over Goyle to grab some bacon.

"You never know…" Crabbe trailed off.

"Why are you acting funny, Crabbe?" Draco questioned with his right eyebrow lifted.

"I'm not acting funny," Crabbe opposed.

"Well aren't you excited I'm back?"

"Of course, Draco!" Crabbe replied convincingly. But Draco was still not persuaded…Crabbe was acting odd, almost like he was dispirited by Draco's return.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life at Hogwarts was no different than it was at home. Except that he didn't have to deal with his bloody family. Instead he had to deal with his bloody peers and teachers.

There were moments during the day where images would flash in Draco's mind. The most vivid was of Sophia with the look of shock, fear, and disappointment…when she had seen his Dark Mark.

He had showed Sophia his mark, the mark he feared, the mark he despised, the mark he regretted. Her eyes had widened with horror…and looked at him as if he were a monster. She was _scared_ of him. Yet…her facial expressions were of disappointment and dissatisfaction. She had made Draco feel guilty.

The Slytherins had been happy to see him back, but almost everyone was avoiding eye contact with him. Usually the people from other houses would glare at him, which he didn't mind and was actually quite entertained by, but now no one would even look at him. Even teachers were edgy around him.

Probably because they knew his family members were followers of Voldemort.

Weeks passed by and Draco wandered about the school going to his classes, barely even thinking about the day. He had lost interest in almost everything and anything. It was strange being at Hogwarts with no Potter, Weasley, or Granger. Not to mention the rest of the students who had been taken away because of their blood, or ones who just never came back.

It was strange being at Hogwarts without Sophia.

He had gotten used to not seeing her, after being cooped up in his house all year long, but walking around Hogwarts was different. He kept expecting her to be around every corner, or sitting in her seat in class.

But she wasn't there.

He often wondered where she had gone to and if she was safe. But she had his wand, she could keep herself out of trouble. Draco had to borrow Narcissa's wand and knew that Bellatrix would have scolded her if she knew. She would have told Narcissa that giving her wand to Draco was a mistake and that he already lost two wands, so why give him a third? He was too much of a disgrace to be important enough to be given a wand.

It had been announced that a meeting would be held at Malfoy Manor and Draco would be returning back, but just for the weekend. It was Death Eater meeting and Draco had no idea what this could be about.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Excuse me, M-My Lord?" Narcissa's voice cracked. Voldemort's scarlet eyes dared her to speak up again. But she wasn't backing down, she couldn't. "Did you say _every_ Death Eater?"

He gave a curt nod.

"Even…well…Master…Draco is still a boy and—"

"I can take care of myself!" Draco shouted across the table. Narcissa flinched at the sound of her arguing son, and was obviously un-expecting of his outburst. She had been anticipating an interruption from Voldemort, but not her own son. "I am not your little boy anymore!" His eyes went cold as they dug into his mother's core. She slightly slouched in her seat, ashamed and embarrassed in front of the whole pack.

"Calm down, young Malfoy. Your mother has every right to be worried about you," Voldemort spoke up. Draco's head whipped around to gape at Voldemort. What was he saying? He was siding with his _mother_? "I would be too if I were in her position, knowing what you are and aren't capable of..."

He was smiling. He was enjoying this. Enjoying seeing Draco so frustrated.

Damn him! Ridiculing him in front of everyone like this...only Voldemort's eyes stopped Draco from talking back. But Draco couldnt help showing his fury.

"Don't," he said simply.

Draco's expression went blank immediately. Angering Voldemort was the last thing he wanted to do.

"So…we shall plan on invading Hogwarts entirely and letting it be known that we are in fact completely in charge in late May. All Death Eaters will guard the exits and entrances. Let no one in. Let no one out. Am I clear?" The vast number of heads surrounding the table nodded up and down vigorously. "Good…good. Then let this meeting end."

He was a little edgy tonight. There must be another reason why he wanted to go to Hogwarts.

The Death Eaters rose from the table and single-filed, exited the room. Draco wandered around the house thinking about what was going to happen.

Hogwarts will be in complete control. The students will be face-to-face with Death Eaters, and hopefully Potter would show up soon enough. Draco had a plan of his own. He was going to catch Potter. He was going to bring him to Lord Voldemort. He was going to earn the Malfoy's honor back.

If Narcissa doesn't stop him from doing so.

Damn mother. She never let him do anything on his own. So protective. So annoying. Bloody hell, Draco could take care of himself, he didn't need his _mummy_ to help him.

He began climbing the staircase and remembered that he had left his robes on the back of his chair. He descended and ambled towards the cracked doors of the dining hall.

"—so why let him? He is a _disgrace_, My Lord. He doesn't _deserve_ to fight with the rest of us. Any of them for that matter!" a sneering voice hissed.

Bellatrix.

"Bella…this is your sister you're speaking of…" Voldemort whispered through a twisted smile.

"I don't care anymore. All I want is Potter dead. And maybe even Draco for that matter."

He couldn't help but continue listening. He knew that if he was caught eavesdropping he would get killed. But this was his aunt…and Voldemort…talking about him.

Hate surged through his body. He had to physically stop his hand from reaching into his pocket and whipping out his wand.

"You're missing my point, Bellatrix." Silence.

It took her several seconds to comprehend what Voldemort was trying to say, and finally she realized it. Bellatrix was catching on.

"You_want_ him to fight." Voldemort merely laughed. "Oh, My Lord! You are genius! Genius! Kill the boy without having to deal with his parents! Make it an 'accident'. Oh, now I see, Master," Bellatrix hissed with joy.

"No…no. I do not care what his parents might think if I killed the boy. If they disapproved I would gladly kill them as well. I want the boy to die by one of his own peers. By one of his own teachers. Or. How would it be if…" he trailed off. Draco could still hear his words coming through a smile.

" The Potter boy killed him…" Bellatrix finished. She giggled softly…_insanely_. "That would be very ironic. Yet very amusing. Two enemies. Good wins…then loses soon after. That would be the ideal, wouldn't it?"

He laughed again.

"Please, Master. Tell me you loathe my sister's rotten son as much as I do," Bellatrix begged.

"I do not, Bellatrix. Though I will say that I do not trust him. And that is why I want him dead. He had the chance to kill Albus, and he never did. I think he can be persuaded very easily. That is why he must go."

Draco's stomach lurched. He couldn't believe what he was hearing…no. No he would have! Why doesn't anyone understand that it was all Snape's fault! Snape hadn't given him enough time!

Oh no. He lost his balance.

_Slam._

He fell into the wall. Silence from the dining room.

"Bella…" Voldemort ordered. Footsteps…heavy ones. Quick. Think.

_Crack._

Draco disapparated the hell out of there.

He found himself in the bathroom and within an instant began washing his hands. Right on cue, Bellatrix stormed right in.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING?"

"Going to the bathroom? Why?" Draco spat.

"YOU….YOU…are you _SURE?_" What kind of question was _that_? Wow. People ask stupid questions when they're angry. Draco simply stared at her. "Draco…I swear…I will catch you someday…I will_kill_ you someday…" she jeered, and she stomped out.

Merlin. That was close.

Great. What an idiot. He let his anger get a hold of him. He was inches away from being caught. Sure, Bellatrix knew it was him, but she had no proof. It could have been any of the Death Eaters.

Ha. He got her angry. Good. Because he hated her.

Then he remembered the conversation he had not supposed to have heard.

That was what Voldemort wanted? Draco dead? He even said he would be happy to kill his mother and father too.

That's it. Draco was going to get Potter.

He had to.

He was going to prove to Bellatrix and Voldemort, and everyone else, that the Malfoys are not useless pieces of vile.

He, Draco Malfoy, was not going to die.


	13. The Final Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…)**

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* * *

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Chapter Thirteen

**The Final Night**

* * *

Hair stuck to her face, clothes clung to her body, and her shoes continued to sink into the surrounding mud. Rain poured down from the dark, cloudy sky and soaked the earth. Distant thunder could be heard every now and then, and the sky lit up at random moments. The chilly night hair caused her body to go frigid. She was so close to giving up. But she couldn't, not now. A village was a mere twenty meters away. She was so close.

Dammit. Why did it have to rain? It made everything all the more difficult.

"Please…please let someone I know be in the village…someone that can help me…" Sophia panted, dragging her feet sluggishly across the mucky field. She had slept for some hours and soon apparated to an unknown forest. She had been walking for several days, with one or two stops at run-down huts. One had been abandoned and in the other lived a mad witch who talked only of nonsensical things. This hadn't helped Sophia one bit.

There were still lights on in the village, Thank Merlin. It wasn't an empty one at least. Night was falling and Sophia was half frozen to death.

What is that? Is it…what does it say?

Sophia's eyes squinted to see what the sign read, hanging over a quaint cottage.

**_The Three Broomsticks_**

"No!" Sophia gasped. Hope spluttered from her heart as her mouth dropped to the floor. "I can't be in…MERLIN!" She suddenly found the energy to scurry over to the door.

She knocked three times eagerly, maybe a little too _eagerly_.

"WHAT?!" cried a tall, thin woman. Her face was red with anger from the disruption.

"Rosmerta!" Sophia bawled. "It's _me_! _Sophia_!"

"OH!" Rosmerta recognized her at once but quickly gestured her to quiet down. "Ssssh!" she hushed.

"Please…" Sophia whispered this time. "Can you help me?"

"I…" she stopped and glanced up over Sophia's head. "Go to the Hog's Head Inn, dear. You didn't hear it from me." She swiftly shut the door, and Sophia's hopes fell. What did _that_ mean?

She knocked three times, quietly this time.

A lofty, bony man emerged at the doorway and looked down upon Sophia. She stared back up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Ro…someone told me, t-to come here, sir," Sophia nearly whimpered.

He backed up and opened the door for her to come in. She stepped inside hastily and stood staring at the empty chairs and tables.

"This way." He led her up to the second floor and there they stood in front of a painting of a charming, young girl, but as soon as they had appeared, she disappeared. "I believe you will be in great comfort soon." They stood in silence for a minute or so, until the girl returned. "Your friends have been waiting for more to come."

"Sophia Dune?"

"N-Neville!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Weeks later…_

Get Potter. Get Potter. Get Potter.

Those were the only two words running through Draco's crazed mind. Potter was somewhere close…maybe just around the corner…and Draco needed to catch him to prove that he was useful, and to achieve the respect the Malfoys once had.

"Crabbe, Goyle…come here," Draco whispered. The left corner of his lip curved upwards as he muttered the words, "Potter."

Potter, Weasley, and Granger were right there in front of them. The silhouettes of three teenagers disappeared into the wall.

The Room of Requirement.

Goyle was practically giddy with happiness and he began laughing. "Ssh!" Draco hissed at his thick-headed friend.

"The Dark Lord will be so proud once we catch Potter and his little friends," Crabbe murmured with a smile too on his face. Draco was taken aback by Crabbe's comment. Why was Crabbe so eager to please Voldemort? Ever since Draco had returned Crabbe had been acting strange. He was straying away from Draco, and he hated that feeling. He was losing control and he didn't like that one bit.

Of course, to feel more in control, Draco kept his plans and thoughts to himself. He hadn't told Crabbe and Goyle the reasons why he wanted to find Potter. They just thought that he wanted to please the Dark Lord, just as they did. But it was more than that. He wanted the honor for his family name, wanted to be accepted by the other Death Eaters. Wanted to show his father and mother that he _could_ do things on his own _without_ their help. And most of all, to rub it in Bellatrix's face.

Draco paced back and forth outside the Room of Requirement mumbling various phrases.

"I need a place where I can hide…" Nothing happened.

"I need a place to think…" Still, nothing happened.

"I need the place where things are hidden." That was it. The door appeared, and Draco grinned at his intelligence. He turned around to receive his praise, and like he expected Goyle piped up,

"You're amazing!"

But Crabbe said nothing. He almost looked…annoyed.

Draco shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Third time's a charm."

"Alright, let's just go get Potter," Crabbe grumbled.

"Alright, alright…" Draco said talking to Crabbe like he was a baby. "Calm down. Stop being so impatient."

"We haven't got all night, Malfoy."

They glared at one another for seven seconds straight. Goyle simply stood there looking baffled, staring from one to the other. Draco's eyes were narrowed and his face was brightening to red.

"I don't like your tone, Crabbe," Draco spat. He had spoken the same way his father spoke to him when he was furious. "And I don't appreciate you calling me Malfoy," he sneered.

"Go."

What was up with him?

It didn't matter. Crabbe was right about one thing, though Draco hated to admit it; they needed to get in and get Potter.

His hand rested on the doorknob and a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. Dammit. Stop shaking.

He turned the knob and they were in. And there he was. Only yards away and looking completely bewildered. He was turning every which way, looking for something.

"_Accio Diadem!_" Granger shouted.

"Let's spilt up. Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara! It's standing on a cupboard and it's definitely somewhere near here…" Potter called back.

The three intruders crept closer and Draco could barely make out what Potter was muttering to himself, "Somewhere near here…Somewhere…somewhere…"

The three lifted the Dissillusionment Charms from themselves and closer they went, Crabbe and Goyle in front, Draco behind, following Potter through the masses of objects. Finally, Draco spoke up,

"Hold it, Potter." He spun around, and Draco could see him through the space between Crabbe and Goyle's heads. "That's my wand you're holding, Potter." He pointed his wand at him, ready to fight.

"Not anymore. Winners, keepers, Malfoy." Draco's face flushed red once more. Merlin, he loathed Potter. "Who's lent you theirs?"

"My mother." Potter laughed and Draco wanted to kill him right then and there. There was nothing funny about him having his mother's wand. He was about to make a snide remark when Potter spoke again,

"So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?"

"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe answered, his voice calm. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go. Decided to bring you to 'im."

Since when did Crabbe speak for the group? Was he trying to squeeze himself into the leadership position?

"Good plan," Potter retorted mockingly, inching back every so often. Draco could tell he was trying to gain time by asking more questions. Draco wasn't _stupid_. "So how did you get in here?"

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year. I know how to get in." His words came out weakly. No. Don't get scared now.

"We was hiding in the corridor outside. We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What's a die-dum?" Goyle had tried to be like Crabbe by explaining things, but came out seeming stupider than a dung beetle.

"Harry? Are you talking to someone?" Ron's voice boomed from behind a wall.

Crabbe whipped around and pointing his wand at a tower of junk hollered, "_Descendo!_" The mass pile teetered and fell into a heap separating the four from the two. Draco's right eyebrow rose at Crabbe's quick thinking. This was not right.

"Ron!" Harry roared, and Hermione's scream was heard from another spot in the room. Harry shouted, "_Finite!_" at the barricade and it stilled. Crabbe's arm raised into the air, his wand pointed out again and Draco quickly seized it.

"No! If you wreck the room you might bury this diadem thing!" Whatever it was Harry was urgently looking for, it was important.

"What's the matter? It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?" Crabbe snapped at him, jerking his arm from Draco's grasp. God, they could be so oblivious sometimes! Did he have to explain _everything_?

"Potter came in here to get it, so that must mean—"

"'Must mean'?" Crabbe cut him off, anger in his voice. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, _Draco_," Crabbe mocked him from earlier. "You an' your dad are finished."

"No…" Draco whispered to himself.

That was it. Draco had lost Crabbe. He had lost control of him. Crabbe had said that Draco and his father were done. No…no they weren't! Draco was going to get Potter and bring him to the Dark Lord! And Crabbe wasn't going to ruin it for him! Draco _will _earn back his respect and honor!

"Harry?" Ron's voice echoed. "What's going on?"

"Harry?" Crabbe impersonated sarcastically. "What's going—_no_, Potter! _Crucio_!"

Potter had dived for the tiara, missing Crabbe's curse by inches. The spell struck the stone bust and the tiara flew into the air and fell somewhere out of vision.

"STOP!" Draco's voice boomed. "The Dark Lord wants him alive—"

"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" Crabbe argued, yanking his arm free from Draco's grip once more. How _dare_ he interrupt him _again_? "But if I can, I will, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyway, what's the diff—?"

A stream of red light came shooting from Granger's wand, who had suddenly appeared from around the corner, and Draco heaved him aside and the spell missed.

"It's that Mudblood! _Avada Kedavra!_" Granger lunged out of the way and she avoided the curse. Potter was obviously livid by the look on his face and he shot a Stunning Spell straight at Crabbe who plummeted into Draco. Crabbe's force had sent Draco's wand flying and it clattered to the floor and rolled away underneath the heap.

Great. This was just spectacular.

"Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" Draco's shouts pierced his own ears. Both Crabbe and Goyle had their wands positioned towards Potter. Goyle was following Crabbe! What _was _this?

Draco began to panic. He had no control over the situation what-so-ever. He was wand less and the two blokes were about to kill Harry Potter.

"_Expelliarmus!_" For once, Draco was relieved that Potter had acted quick. Goyle's wand was taken from his hands and given to the air above and as he leapt to recover it, Granger shot a Stunning Spell at Draco. Luckily, she missed.

"Damn Mudblood…" he mumbled. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Weasley shooting a full Body-Bind Curse at Crabbe but he too, missed.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Crabbe bellowed, aiming his wand at Weasley. He jumped aside, evading the attack.

Oh shite.

Granger was heading right towards him. And he didn't have a wand.

Draco shrunk behind a three-legged dresser, because he didn't know what else to do. What _could _he do?

"_Stupefy!_" she yelled pointing her wand at Goyle. He fell to the ground with a thump, but it was barely audible because of the noise from the chaos.

"It's somewhere here!" Potter shouted. He was pointing at the particular mountain of rubbish where the diadem had fallen. "Look for it while I go and help R—"

"HARRY!" Granger shrieked. Weasley and Crabbe came sprinting down the aisle, with a thunderous, deafening blast coming from behind them.

"Like it hot, scum?" Crabbe hollered with a twisted smile. That smile reminded Draco of Bellatrix. Bellatrix…

He needed Potter. He hastily stood up, but wanted to crouch back down once he had seen what they were running from.

Colossal-sized flames billowed and crept along the sides of the walkway. Everything was turning to soot...

"Aw shite."

"_Aguamenti!_" Potter shouted, yet the surge of water did nothing as it evaporated.

"RUN!" someone screamed. Draco had no time to even think about who it might have been. His mind was only on escaping now. Saving his life.

Goyle.

He snatched his robes and began tugging him along.

"Damnit, you're huge!" Draco gasped, breathing for air. Crabbe was already way ahead of them all. "Traitor…" The fire was so strange and Draco had no idea where Crabbe had learned such a spell. "Idiot!" he shouted at Crabbe as the two ran for their lives.

"Don't go callin' me an idiot, _Draco_," he sneered once more.

"GOD DAMNIT!" But his voice was lost in the roaring of the fire. The fire that was now taking shape into monsters…snakes, dragons, chimaeras…

They were ahead of Potter, Weasley, and Granger now. Draco turned to look back but they were no where to be seen. "NO!" He needed Potter ALIVE.

They had hit a dead end. There was no where to go. Crabbe had destroyed the set paths with his spells and fire curse. Draco didn't know what else to do but climb.

He hauled Goyle up the mountain of junk and fell to his knees on a pile of burnt desks. Draco had his arms around Goyle, holding on to him. One move and Goyle might slip from his hands. Crabbe was gone. He had scurried up the heaps and for the exit to save only himself.

"God damn you, Crabbe." Then Draco saw the boy he had so wanted to catch and bring to Voldemort so that he could kill him. And now…Draco knew that he was his only way out.

Potter swerved downwards on a broomstick and Draco held up on arm. Draco knew Potter wouldn't be able to haul them both up onto the broom. Oh no…

Potter grabbed onto Draco's hand but slipped away as fast as he had come. The weight of Goyle and the sweat from Draco's hand was too much.

Then Draco heard a holler from Weasley, "IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Draco snorted at Weasley's remark.

Potter came back swooping back, and Granger and Weasley heaved Goyle onto their broom and flew off, as Draco scrambled up onto Potter's broom.

Even though Draco was so close to death, he couldn't help thinking how awkward this was.

He was being saved by his enemy.

Draco was now as low as he could get. He was now dependent on Harry. How pathetic.

"The door, get to the door, the door!" he screamed in Potter's ear. He sped up and they were enveloped in a black cloud of smoke. Draco choked and gasped for air. He could hardly breathe. The fiery beasts threw objects into the air, almost as if celebrating their destruction, and then Draco saw it. The diadem.

"No…" Draco muttered. He knew Potter was going to go for it. And he surely did. "_What are you doing, what are you doing, the door's that way!_" he shouted once again, but that didn't stop Potter from diving for the tiara. Then he caught it around his wrist…practically perfect.

Draco would have ridiculed him but decided not to for two reasons. One, he didn't want to distract Potter from getting them the hell out of there. And two, he was actually glad Potter had snatched it. That way, they wouldn't have to stay in this room any longer.

The other three were long gone and no where to be seen. The fire was surrounding them and Draco saw no hope. He clutched to Potter and was shouting at the top if his lungs. Everything was so blurry and he couldn't concentrate. He felt like he was in a nightmare.

Potter then steered the broom towards an open door and they soared through a cloud of smoke.

_Bang_.

They had crashed into the opposite wall of the hallway and Draco fell to the floor on his face gasping for clean air and coughing like crazy. He glanced upward and saw Potter sitting up, coughing as well. Weasley and Granger sat beside the still unconscious Goyle, wheezing.

"C-Crabbe…" Draco was able to huff out. "C-Crabbe…"

"He's dead," Weasley stated ruthlessly. No one spoke, only coughed and panted, trying to get their lungs to calm down. The whole castle shook with a thunderous noise coming from somewhere in the school. A pack of ghosts riding horses galloped past them screaming with their swords held high in the air. Draco just kneeled there next to Goyle, barely listening to the trio's conversation.

"Where's Ginny?" Potter snapped. "She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement."

"Blimey, d'you reckon it'll still work after that fire?" Weasley pointed out, wiping the ashes from his shirt and standing to his feet. "Shall we spilt up and look—?"

"No." Granger was on her feet now too. "Let's stick together. I say we go—Harry, what's that on your arm?" She had been distracted by the tiara around Potter's arm.

"What? Oh yeah—" He slid the diadem off his wrist and examined it. Soot covered almost every inch of it, and then it began leaking blood. It then crumbled into ashes on the floor in front of Potter.

"It must have been Fiendfyre!" Granger whined.

"Sorry?" Potter remarked. Draco too, had no idea what she was talking about.

"Fiendfyre—cursed fire—it's one of the substances that destroy Horcruxes…" Bloody hell, this Mudblood really did know everything. And what the hell were Horcruxes? "…But I would never, ever have dared use it, it's so dangerous—how did Crabbe know how to—?"

"Must've learned from the Carrows," Potter answered bleakly.

"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really," Weasley commented sardonically. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead."

Draco twitched at Weasley's words. It pained him to hear the truth about his friend being dead. But…Draco couldn't help agreeing with Weasley. Crabbe had been stupid enough to make that fire, even though Draco had _ordered_ him _not to_ try and kill Potter.

"But don't you realize?" Granger murmured. "This means, if we can just get the snake—" Yells and screams approached them from the other corridor.

What snake? Did she mean, Nagini? Wait…why would they want that snake? What were they talking about? Draco hated not knowing what was going on. But he didn't dare speak, for fear that they might remember he was lying right there.

And there they were. Two Death Eaters dueling Percy and Fred Weasley. The trio dashed forward to try and aide the Weasleys in fighting. Draco only sat there, hoping to be unnoticed.

"Hello, Minister!" Percy hollered. Thicknesse had been discovered when his hood had slipped. He dropped his wand as Percy said, "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking Perce!" Fred yelled with a delighted smile as three Stunning Spells blast the Death Eater he had been battling.

Draco didn't care anymore. He looked down at Goyle and shook him violently. "Wake up!" he shouted.

Then, there was an explosion.

Dust went everywhere and Draco couldn't tell what was happening. He put his head to the ground, closed his eyes, and hoped for everything to end. Draco was so used to the yells and screams that they seemed so distant now. When Draco thought it safe to lift up his head, he did so. And what he found was not pretty.

Draco shivered from the bitter cold air that rushed through the hallway that was now missing a wall.

"No—no—no! No! Fred! No!" someone shouted. Draco couldn't make out who it was who was shouting. But by the sounds of it…he knew who the red-headed figure lying on the ground was.

Percy was shaking Fred's limp body and Ron was kneeling on the ground with his hands in his hair and his face completely distorted. Fred Weasley's eyes sat open staring into space, no longer seeing the world around him. His face still held the laughing expression before his life had ended.

Draco shook his head back and forth, trying to erase the horrible image from his mind. He didn't need to see this…he didn't _want_ to see this.

He stood up slowly onto his frail legs muttering, "This is so wrong…Crabbe…Weasley…these people…they don't need to die…_what's_ _happening_?"


	14. Confession

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Confession**

"My Lord…" a feeble voice spoke out desperately. "My Lord…please…" Lucius Malfoy sat in the corner of a dark room, cuts, marks, and bruises lined his face and his robes were tattered. "…my son…" he begged powerlessly.

"If your son is dead, Lucius, it is not my fault," said the cold voice of the Dark Lord. "He did not come and join me, like the rest of the Slytherins. Perhaps he has decided to befriend Harry Potter?"

"No—never," Lucius murmured, his eyes wide with terror.

"You must hope not," Voldemort retorted bitterly.

"Aren't—aren't you afraid, my Lord, that Potter might die at another hand but yours? Wouldn't it be…forgive me…more prudent to call off this battle, enter the castle, and seek him y-yourself?" Lucius suggested, stammering as a result of his violent shaking.

"Do not pretend, Lucius. You wish the battle to cease so that you can discover what has happened to your son. And I do not need to seek Potter. Before the night is out, Potter will have come to find me." Voldemort's eyes fixated on the wand in his hand, his face demonstrating his patience. "Go and fetch Snape."

"Snape, m-my Lord?"

"Snape. Now. I need him. There is a—service—I require from him."

Lucius continued kneeling, glued to his spot, fearful of moving.

"Go," Voldemort ordered harshly. Lucius reluctantly stood up, hesitated, and ambled out the door.

As he limped downhill, he mumbled aloud, "No…no…my son would never…_never_…do such a thing…no…he is loyal…loyal to the Dark Lord…my son knows his duty…he knows his place…he is a Death Eater."

Sweat ran down the side of Draco's face as he ran across the upper landing. His robes were dirty, burnt, torn, and a complete mess. Not to mention he was completely defenseless.

Goyle had disappeared when Draco told him what had become of Crabbe. Draco knew he wouldn't be able to convince him to come, so he didn't even try and persuade Goyle to follow him.

"Take that you disgusting vile!" Draco heard Professor McGonagall scream while blasting a Death Eater away with a Stunning Spell. Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil were dueling with two other Death Eaters, though Draco couldn't tell who they were exactly because they were masked.

"Bloody hell…" Draco watched as his classmates dodged killing curses and stunning spells, while shooting some of their own. He quickly turned away, not able to stand watching students battle Death Eaters.

As soon as he turned his head a Death Eater shrieked, "_CRUCIO!_" Draco evaded the attack and spun around once more to see who had attacked him like that.

Yet again, he couldn't tell who it was, nor did he recognize the voice.

"Hey!? What are you doing?! I'm one of you!" Draco shouted over the chaos. The Death Eater couldn't hear him and began sending Stunning Spells his way.

"_STUPEFY!_" Draco once again avoided the spell.

What the bloody hell was this person doing? Didn't they recognize him at all?

He lifted his left sleeve to show the Death Eater his mark. The Death Eater didn't seem to care. They approached him, holding their wand out straight in front of them.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, I'm Draco, I'm on your side!" he pleaded helplessly.

Suddenly, out of nowhere a Stunning Spell hit the Death Eater and they fell to the ground. Draco whipped around smiling, so grateful, yet he saw no one there.

_Wham._

Draco was punched in the mouth by an invisible force. He fell backwards and toppled over onto the stunned Death Eater. His lip began to bleed, and he wiped his mouth. Blood dripped down his chin as he glanced around hastily to see what had struck him.

"And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" a voice cried out.

Weasley.

But…he was right. They had just saved his life for the second time.

But he hadn't _asked_ for their help. Weasley thought he was so valiant.

Prat.

Then he remembered what Weasley had just gone through and Draco shuddered. He didn't know if he was shaking from the memory or shaking because of how he felt.

He almost felt as though he was…_sorry_ for Weasley.

A blood curdling scream woke Draco from his thoughts and he glimpsed downward to find Lavender Brown on the ground below. She had fallen from the balcony and Greyback was hovering over her, about to sink his teeth into her flesh.

"NO!" a voice screeched and Draco watched as Greyback was blasted backwards into the banisters. That's when Draco realized he should probably get onto his feet.

He stood up and nearly fell yet again, but he regained his balance and was able to stand.

"This way!" Neville Longbottom was leading a group of students down the staircase into the entrance hall. "'Urry!" His face was scratched and bleeding, but he was making no fuss about it. "_STUPEFY!_" he shouted at an on-coming Death Eater. It fell to floor and crashed against the marble stone.

"Bloody hell…" Longbottom was casting Stunning Spells? "The D.A…" Draco remembered. That's where practically all of them had learned the—

There she was. Almost twenty yards away, huddled in the mass of students.

He couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

She was alive. _Alive_.

Then she spotted him too. She ceased running and stood frozen in one spot. They stared at one another for the longest ten seconds Draco had ever experienced. Finally, Draco broke free from his trance and began striding over to the girl he had been longing to see.

Sophia Jamie Dune was _here_. At _Hogwarts_.

"Sophia…" he whispered almost inaudibly as he stopped a foot in front of her. "How—how did you get here?"

She only stared him in the eyes. It pained him to watch her face contort with hurt.

She hadn't forgotten.

"So—"

"Draco." Her face had hardened, and her eyes began to glare. "I don't want to hear it. I know what you think and I don't need to know of your plans. You go on destroying this school with your little friends and I'll stay here and protect this school and the students and teachers and you can just leave. Thoughts of you have haunted me for a year now and I am sick of them and I want them to disappear. So go, Draco. Leave. For good. Please. I know what you want and who you want to please so just—"

"NO! Just _listen_ to me!" Draco had grabbed her by the shoulders. He had seized her a bit too violently from the look on her face. But Draco didn't have the time to apologize for that. He had to apologize for everything else first, before she stopped him again. He just needed her to listen. He needed her to hear what he had to say. "Please. Just listen. I need you to. I need to apologize, so—"

"For what?" she interrupted.

"For _everything_. Sophia. Just…just let me explain and then you can leave. _I'll _leave. Leave you alone. Forever. Just let me say this to you." She gaped and he gazed right into her eyes.

"Sophia. For the longest time I have suppressed my feelings. Not wanting to admit anything. The truth is, when I first met you I thought you were the most annoying person I had ever met. But then I realized that you _cared_. And that's what I needed. Someone that _cared_ and didn't pretend to care. You always gave me hope when there was none left in me. You would always make me smile when there was nothing else that could. _You_, Sophia, believed in me. But I was pathetic. Oblivious to the fact that I could change and still live to see your smile once again. I was afraid. Afraid of _him_. My aunt. My parents. Everyone. I wanted to change. But I knew I couldn't. When I was cooped up in my house all summer and practically the whole school year, I thought I would never see you again. I was afraid…that you might…die. Because of him. And I resented that. So I held back and made myself despise you. But it didn't work. There was no reason to. And then you came. And you brought hope with you. But my aunt…she…she is evil, Sophia. I am nothing, was nothing, and never will be anything like her. I promise you. I _hate_ her. She repulses me. But I was too weak to stop her. And I regret that moment I didn't do anything to stop your pain. But I knew there was _something_ I could do for you. Set you free. So I helped you escape, hoping I would forget you. And hoping that I would finally be able to loathe you because a reason finally showed itself. Your blood. I thought maybe I could despise you because of your blood, and I tried. But that didn't work either, Sophia. Nothing worked. Because there was nothing that _could_ work. Nothing could make me despise you, ever. And I didn't want to admit that. I couldn't. Because I knew it wasn't possible…possible for…f-for _us_. But Sophia, trust me. I know now and I should have realized it a long time ago." Her face had changed during his speech, and it was now alarmed, and he could tell she was stunned. Draco embraced her and held her tight to him for what seemed like a century.

"_I love you, Sophia_."

There. He said it. He admitted he loved her. He confessed.

He let her go and she nearly fell backwards from shock. "I-I…Draco…you have to believe me too…I tried in every way possible to hate you…and for a while I did…" She was crying. "I feel so awful for hating you…"

"Don't." Draco's face was grave. "You had every reason to. I deserve it."

"No…I didn't want to hate you…I-I knew…that you…you were…good."

Draco flinched. What had she said? He was…_good_? What did that _mean_?

"Please, Sophia. Don't cry."

"It's okay. I'm…I'm happy. I'm happy that I finally…get to see you."

"Don't. Please. You shouldn't be happy to see—"

"Don't do that!" Sophia cried. "Don't you dare say that, Draco Malfoy! Don't you tell me what to do!"

Draco, scratched and bloody, stood there staring at Sophia, who's eyes were red and blotchy.

They burst out laughing.

"Just like old times, huh?" Draco smiled.

"Draco…" she hugged him firmly. "I love you too." Draco was bewildered at the fact that they were able to laugh in the middle of the pandemonium that was going on, and was bemused by their luck of not being seen or heard by anyone. The Death Eaters were now down below near the exit and were paying no attention to him and her. "I knew…I knew you could do it…change, I mean."

"But…Sophia. I don't know if I ch—"

"You have. Trust me. I know. You're afraid to admit you've changed, Draco. You're always afraid. And that's a fault of yours. But don't hate yourself for it. That'll only make things worse and make things go back to the way they were."

"I…I'll try."

"That's good enough for me."

"I love you."

"You've already said that," she giggled, smiling up at him.

"I'm making up for all the times I haven't said that."

"Fair enough."

They kissed. In the middle of the confusion and disorder surrounding them, they kissed. Draco's world had now changed. Sophia was here in his arms, and he was no longer worrying about her whereabouts and safety. She would be safe, as long as he was watching her.

"_YOU!_"

Draco and Sophia broke from each other and there stood Bellatrix, her tangled, black hair sticking every which way.

"_YOU!_" she screeched again. Neither could tell who she was directly her words to. Maybe it was both Draco _and_ Sophia. "_CRUCIO!_" Draco shoved Sophia aside and the curse rebounded off the wall. "_I KNEW THE DARK LORD SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU! I NEVER DID, YOU FILTHY TRAITOR!_" Bellatrix was ballistic.

No…she was going to try and kill Sophia…NO!

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" A green light headed right towards Sophia but she leapt five feet to the right and it barely missed her.

THANK MERLIN, SHE MISSED!

"_GOD DAMN YOU, DRACO! YOU DESERVE TO DIE! YOU AND YOUR FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD GIRLFRIEND!_" Bellatrix screamed psychotically.

"_STUPEFY!_" Sophia shouted at Bellatrix, but she dodged it with ease. Then, Sophia's wand went flying from her hand. Bellatrix was performing the spells with her mind.

"Hmm…" Bellatrix began laughing like a mad woman. Draco swore she was bipolar. "Draco…you lost mummy's wand? Ha ha ha! Of _course_ you did. You _lose_ _everything_. Maybe I'll have a bit of fun first then…" Her lip curved upwards to the right and her eyes were blazing with insanity.

"NO!" Draco hollered at his aunt. He wouldn't let her hurt Sophia. He may be wandless, but he couldn't let Sophia get hurt…not now...now that they just found each other…

"Sop—"

_WHAM._

Draco was hurled at the wall and his head smashed against a painting. He was conscious but couldn't see a thing. No…no…NO!

He couldn't be out of it for one second! Not one! He opened his eyes and saw dots of color dancing around in his line of vision.

A scream.

"So—So…_SOPHIA_!" he shouted. He turned his head to look in the direction of the scream. She was on the floor, a limp body lying on the cold, stone floor. And Bellatrix was not far, laughing her head off.

She liked this. She was _enjoying_ herself. She was mad.

"GRAAAH!" Draco cried through gritted teeth. He stumbled upward holding his head, not able to concentrate on anything but his aunt. He snatched the wand that he had lent Sophia up off of the floor and marched towards his aunt, prepared for what he was about to do. Prepared for what he _wanted_ to do. "DIE AND GO TO HELL YOU ROTTEN BITCH!"

"Now, now, Draco…no need to be so harsh…it's a good thing you don't need to deal with that Mudblood anymore. It really was revolting," she giggled, a crazed smile still spread across her face.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" he bellowed and a jet of green light erupted from his wand and headed straight towards Bellatrix.

But she was gone.

"GOD DAMN YOU!" he shouted at an invisible person. He sauntered over to Sophia's body and plummeted to his knees. "Sophia…" he whispered. Tears were flooding from his eyes and running down his face, dripping onto the marble. "Sophia…"

That was the only word that could come from his mouth. He couldn't say anything else. She was gone. Dead. All because of Bellatrix. And he wasn't there to protect her. He had failed. Once again. Just like he always did.

He stroked Sophia's hair and caressed her head in his trembling hands. "Sophia…" he wept. How could this have happened? He had sworn to protect her, but didn't. He failed.

"SOPHIAAA!" he roared, his voice echoing through the hall, mixing with the blasting noise of the battle below.

Draco stood up, held a tight grip on his wand, and trudged down the stairs. Then his feet began walking faster…and faster…and faster until he was running full speed into the entrance hall.

There stood a Death Eater battling with a student. Draco paid no attention to the student. His only focus was the Death Eater.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

His Dark Mark stung and Draco winced in pain. The Death Eater fell to the ground and the green light subsided. Draco's heaving chest and furrowed brow made him to appear fearsome. He was breathing heavily and he could not control his emotions.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" he bellowed at a second Death Eater. Draco's left forearm was throbbing. But he didn't care. He cared for nothing anymore.

Draco was as insane as his aunt.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Another Death Eater, killed.

Draco fell to the floor in pain, and writhed as he clutched his left arm and grasped it tightly to try and make the pain disappear. Someone Draco did not recognize rushed over to him and laid their hands on his upper arm.

"What's wrong?! Can I hel—"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled at them. He heard a terrified gasp and the sound of running shoes fading away.

Spells. Screams. Yells. Curses.

Draco couldn't take it anymore. He wished Bellatrix had killed him after she had Sophia. He staggered to his feet and made his way to the top of the landing. Sophia still lay there amongst several scattered bodies. He wandered over to her body and hauled her up. He slowly made his way down the staircase with Sophia in his arms. Little by little he climbed down the stairs.

When he reached the bottom, he collapsed onto the floor. He hovered over Sophia's body, swearing to at least protect that. His crying had never ceased. His eyes were bloodshot and his face scarlet.

Then something shined in the corner of his eye. Sophia's left hand was clutched around something. Draco gently tugged each of Sophia's fingers at a time, and revealed was the locket.

Draco picked it up and examined it. The locket he had given Sophia for her birthday was in perfect condition.

Except the chain was broken.

"You yanked it off your neck…" he murmured in agony.

Then he saw them. Everyone. Outside in front of the doors to the entrance hall. Hagrid was carrying another dead body.

The body of Harry Potter.

"No…" Draco moaned.

"NO!"

"No!"

"_No!_"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Everyone was screaming at once. Everyone thought the same as Draco. They knew what was going to become of them.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort's voice blasted through the hall. Draco's eyes narrowed at the sight of him. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!" Harry was set down on the grass as Voldemort continued, "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

No…no. _Draco_ was nothing…but Harry…as much as he loathed him…he could've stopped you…

"He beat you!" Ron yelled out from amongst the crowd. Everyone began shouting and screaming at once until a powerful thunder ended the noise.

Draco could feel his hatred for Voldemort rushing through his veins, filling his body, penetrating his mind.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds…" Liar. He was lying. He was coming to kill you and you know it. Draco didn't want to hear his pathetic lies. "…killed while trying to save himself—"

At that instant, Neville Longbottom sprinted forward, heading for Voldemort, but was knocked off his feet. Voldemort had obtained Neville's wand, but soon tossed it to the ground.

"And who is this?" he hissed. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Neville was bloody brave, Draco would give him that.

He then heard an overjoyed laugh and he looked over to see his aunt standing there, looking overly joyous.

She didn't deserve to be happy. Voldemort's glaring eyes were the only things that were stopping Draco from lunging at Bellatrix.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

Draco's grip around the locket tightened. His body went stiff.

"Ah, yes, I remember. But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

And so what if he was? Not all pure bloods are evil…not as evil as you…blood…it means nothing…

"So what if I am?" Neville said, clenching his fists. Draco flinched at Neville's words. They had had the same thoughts.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom," Voldemort replied with a sickening grin.

"Don't you _dare_…don't you dare do to Neville what you did to me…" Draco mumbled.

Ever since he was born, ideas and beliefs had been forced into Draco's head. Evil thoughts and Draco resented that. This life had been forced upon him. He never had a choice. But Neville did.

Draco knew Neville would never join the Dark Lord.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over. Dumbledore's Army!" Neville cried out. People all around Draco began cheering, and the Silencing Charm could not restrain them.

"Very well." That tone was familiar, Voldemort was even angrier than ever before. "If that is your choice, Longbottom—"

"His name is Neville…" Draco whispered.

"—we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it."

At that moment, an odd looking bird appeared from somewhere in the sky. Draco could not see because he only had the view at the door. But the strange creature landed in Voldemort's hand and he picked up the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

The Sorting Hat was then forced onto Neville's head below his eyes, just by a flick of Voldemort's wand. The crowd began moving around and some held out their wands, but the Death Eaters stopped any more of them from moving.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," and Voldemort's set the hat afire.

"NO!" Draco yelled out, and his voice was muddled with the rest of the screaming voices of the mob.

A stampede of giants and centaurs then came bustling to the front of the castle, roaring war cries. People were everywhere and Draco lost sight of Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters.

This was his chance. His chance to kill her.

Draco stood up, energy flooding through him, and sprinted to the open entrance doors. Every eye was on Neville who had broken free from the Body-Bind Curse. He was holding a long, silver sword.

"What the bloody hell…" Draco muttered to himself.

In one rapid movement, Neville sliced the head of Nagini, its body falling to the ground and writhing for almost three seconds. Draco could faintly hear Voldemort's cry of rage.

Draco smiled.

"Go! Go! Go!" someone screamed while darting past Draco. People were running every which way, and the battle was on again. They were still willing to fight against Voldemort even though Harry was de—

Where did he go…? Where did he go!? He was gone.

"HARRY! HARRY—WHERE'S HARRY?" Draco wasn't the only one who had noticed. Hagrid was shouting his head off trying to figure out where Harry's body had gone to.

Giants…witches…Death Eaters…wizards…centaurs…and that damn hippogriff, Buckbeak. They were everywhere, dueling it out.

Draco didn't want to leave Sophia's side. He lifted her and brought her to a corner where she couldn't be seen easily. Besides, no one would give their attention to someone who is already dead…_dead_.

Fury raced through Draco again, building up inside him. His sanity was lost once more and he began fighting alongside Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott.

"What the bloody 'ell are you doin'?!" Seamus called out.

"Fighting," was Draco's blunt response. "Trust me…I don't want to fight with you any more then you want with me!"

"Fine then!" Seamus retorted.

Draco sent killing curses at every Death Eater in sight. He mostly missed, but twice he struck.

And each time he smiled.

What was happening to him? He was just angry…furious.

There was nothing left for him. Draco only took little joy from killing other Death Eaters. It was Bellatrix he wanted dead. At this point, he didn't care how she died. He only wished her death.

And his wish was about to come true.


	15. Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Death**

* * *

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" 

Draco stopped mid-step.

Molly Weasley shoved past the mob of wizards and witches and made her way towards Bellatrix, her face distorted with ferocity.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" she screamed. Bellatrix cackled at her new contender, bustling her way through the horde of people. Bellatrix's smile soon faded into a scowl as the two women shot spells and curses back and forth.

Several students rushed forward to help Molly but she quickly refused their assistance. "No! Get back! _Get back!_ She is mine!"

Draco was frozen in place, standing behind Molly yet not her or Bellatrix noticed he was there. They were only concentrated on each other. He stood watching his aunt and Molly Weasley battle one another, each wanting to kill the other.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same was as Freddie?" Bellatrix ridiculed, a smirk stretching across her face.

How can she have a heart so black, that she mocks a woman who has just lost a child?

Molly's cheeks were bright red, and her eyes were bulging from their sockets. "You—will—never—touch—our—children—again!"

Bellatrix roared with laughter at Molly's statement.

And that had always been her fault.

Her madness led to her ruin. She could never keep herself from laughing at the pain and torture of others, and it was in that one second when her guard was let down, by her own cockiness, and Molly Weasley's curse hit her square in the chest.

Bellatrix's body went stiff, the smile vanishing from her face, her eyes staring at her killer.

They shifted to Draco…Draco, her blood nephew, grinning at her demise. With her eyes wide and terrified, Draco knew she was using Leglimency on him. She knew what he was thinking. Because he let her. He _wanted_ her to know.

_That's for Sophia, and everyone else you have ever hurt you sick, pathetic bitch. You get what you deserve._

Bellatrix crumpled onto the ground and Voldemort's scream echoed throughout the hall, Draco's grin never leaving his face. It scared him, how much he felt like his aunt at that moment. He was _enjoying_ someone's _death_. Just like Bellatrix had.

He disgusted himself.

Yet, he couldn't help himself.

"_Protego!_" A Shield Charm stretched out through the middle of the hall and the fighting ceased as Voldemort shot glances every which way, searching for the source of the spell.

And then there stood Harry Potter.

"Harry!"

"HE'S ALIVE!"

People were crying out all at once, to the boy who could save them all. The boy they all believed to be dead.

"He's the boy who lived…yet again," Draco laughed to himself, almost insanely. "How…how…"

"I don't want anyone else to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me," Harry spoke loudly. He and Voldemort circled one another like savage animals ready to pounce.

Voldemort hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody. There are no more Horcruxes." Draco's head cocked to the side. "It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…" Harry threatened.

"One of us?" Voldemort scorned. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling strings?" His scarlet eyes bore into Harry's emerald ones.

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me? Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

The pair continued circling each other, not daring to remove their gaze from the other.

"_Accidents!_" Voldemort spat. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight." Draco's left hand clenched around the locket. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again." A tear slid down Draco's dirty, bloody cheek. The salt water stung the cut, but he did not wince. He could not move. He could not breathe. "Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people—"

"But you did not!"

"—I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

Riddle?

"_You dare—_"

"Yes, I dare. I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort did not answer, only continued moving in a perfect circle, watching Harry's every movement and listening to Harry's every word.

"Is it love again?" he sneered. "Dumbledore's favorite solution, _love_, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork?" Draco shivered. "_Love_, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter—" Draco's eyes narrowed. He loathed that word. And he thought it ironic. He used to love using that word…"—and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

"Just one thing," Harry stated calmly.

This annoyed Voldemort. He snapped, "If it is not love that will save you this time, you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both." A moment of shock showed itself upon Voldemort's face but quickly vanished as he snickered. But it was not just any laugh. It was insane, almost like that of Bellatrix's.

"They're both bloody mad…" Draco mumbled.

"You think _you_ know more magic than I do? Than _I_, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak! Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!" screamed Voldemort.

No…he was the opposite of weak. He was strong. He rebelled against the urge. Against the pressure.

"No, he was cleverer than you, a better wizard, a better man," Harry argued.

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" Draco yet again shivered.

"You thought you did, but you were wrong."

The mass of people inhaled at once, petrified at what was going on. Was Harry saying that Dumbledore was alive…?

"_Dumbledore is dead!_" Voldemort yelled, as if trying to dig the pain into others. "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead," the crowd exhaled, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

He couldn't be talking of Draco…he had never planned anything.

_Snape._

"What childish dream is this?"

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand."

_Love._

"You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?"

Voldemort winced, but said nothing.

"Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children."

Draco was more similar to Snape in ways he couldn't have imagined.

"You should have realized, he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?" Voldemort's eyes narrowed into slender red slits, his nostrils flaring.

"He desired her, that was all, but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him—"

_ALL MUDBLOODS ARE WORTHIER THAN YOU, VOLDEMORT._

"Of course he told you that," Harry interrupted, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not!" he cackled madly. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great _love_! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand! Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wan from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand!"

Elder Wand? It must be…a powerful wand.

"But I got there ahead of you, little boy—I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"

Snape…dead?

"Yeah, it did. You're right."

What!?

"But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done…Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…"

What was he getting at?

"What is this?" Voldemort spat furiously. He was more frustrated than Draco had never seen him before.

"It's your one last chance, it's all you've got left…I've seen what you'll be otherwise…Be a man…try…Try for some remorse…"

_I'm sorry Sophia…_

"You dare—" Voldemort repeated.

"Yes, I dare, because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle." Both Harry and Voldemort tightened their grip on their wands. "That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

"He killed—"

"Aren't you listening? _Snape never beat Dumbledore!_ Dumbledore's death was planned between them!" Harry yelled out irritated. "Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!" His voice elevated with each sentence, growing louder and more viciously.

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? _The wand chooses the wizard…_The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it."

Draco's body went rigid. His eyes were stuck on Harry, waiting for him to utter another word.

"The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance…"

Voldemort's chest was heaving, and he and Draco seemed to act as one. Draco choked on air…waiting for the words to be spoken…

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was free. Free from Voldemort. Free from Bellatrix. Free from everything in the world.

Except from his guilt. From his misery. From the pain that tore at his heart every waking moment.

Everyone was bringing the dead wizards and witches to the burial ground, and helping to repair the school. Draco had fainted after the death of Voldemort. His mind and body couldn't take any more.

And now he lay there awake, staring up at the ceiling, and soon enough heaving himself to sit upright.

"This one's not dead either!" a wizard called out to another. "Come on, let's get her to the hospital." Draco's eyes could barely keep themselves open as he turned his head to stare in the direction of the voice. The two wizards were lifting a body and taking it out of the castle.

The body of Sophia.

"So—Sophia…" Draco sighed. Hope flooded his body as he stood on his own two feet. He lugged himself to the exit and followed the wizards for about thirty yards.

"May we help you?"

"I…I know her."

"Well, good. Maybe you can help identify her," one of the men said.

"Did…did you say she wasn't…she's not…"

"Dead? No. She's alive."

"But…but how?" Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"How do I know?"

But he _saw_ her die. He watched her _die_. Bellatrix _killed_ her. She _did_.

"Come on kid, you look pretty banged up too. Let's get to St. Mungo's."

Draco's mind was in a haze. He couldn't understand how that could be true. They must have made a mistake.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello, yes, your daughter, Sophia, right?" the plump nurse inquired.

"Yes," a tall, coffee-haired woman answered. The man standing next to her nodded in agreement.

"Your daughter, she is going to be alright." The mother gasped and the father sighed in relief. "Her mind has only been obliviated."

He had been deceived by Bellatrix and her saying spells with her mind.

"E-Excuse me, what does oblivia—" the mother began to ask.

"Oh, my dear. I'm so terribly sorry. I forgot you two aren't eh, familiar with these terms." The father and mother smiled to show they were not offended. "She has been cursed by a charm, which causes you to forget things."

Tears welled in their eyes, but the nurse quickly continued, "Oh, but please. Do not worry. It is only mild. She is well capable of remembering, though it may take some time…years maybe. Whoever cursed her must have been distracted or not fully engaged. She is going to be fine, I assure you."

"Thank you," Sophia's parents said in unison.

Draco Malfoy sat in the waiting room, arms on the arm rests, one leg resting upon the other, listening to every word.

She was going to be alright. Sophia was _alive_.


	16. Six Years Later

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot, the world, the characters, or any other aspect of the series Harry Potter written by J.K. Rowling. I do copy exact words from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I admit I do not own the text. **

**This plotline was original but it falls in line with the plot line of the seventh book. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SEVENTH BOOK YET.**

**(Or "Oblivious"…) **

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Six Years Later**

* * *

This was his sixth visit to St. Mungo's. He visited once a year, always on the same day, the day he first met her.

It was well past midnight, but he would be allowed in as always. Harry Potter had made this one arrangement for Draco, without asking any questions. Draco wondered why Harry would ever do such a thing for Draco, and was perplexed by Harry's kindness.

Draco only ever visited during the night when he was sure she would be sleeping. He never wanted to come face to face with her, he couldn't bare it. He couldn't stand knowing whether she remembered him or not. Every year he craved that piece of knowledge, but always kept away from finding the answer. He didn't want the answer.

Seeing her was always extremely nerve-racking for him. Two out of the five times he had visited her in the hospital, she had burst out screaming and yelling, twitching in her bed. No one was able to make sense of it. The doctors and nurses said it was the result of the nightmares she had; the nightmares of everything that haunted her subconscious. The things she couldn't remember. Draco was afraid of knowing the truth; the truth about what it was that haunted her thoughts.

One of those five times he had gone to visit her and she had just been calmed down from one of her fits. The nurses had him wait outside until the shaking and whimpering ceased, and she was back into her deep sleep.

It was the scariest thing to see, and that is why Draco never liked visiting her. He hated seeing her in pain, and the screams only reminded him of that night.

She would suddenly wake, flying upright and screaming violently. She would thrash her arms around and jerk her body. Her eyes were blank, almost white, and she couldn't see or hear anyone or anything. She was still in the nightmare, yet it wasn't exactly a nightmare. It was almost like a state of mind. It was like a convulsion, due to the spell.

That horrid night of the last battle against the evilest of evils, he had believed her to be dead by his aunt. The same night he discovered that she was in fact alive, and her mind had only been obliviated.

He was most thankful for that. His aunt had wanted to "have a bit of fun first". That's what she did best: mess with people.

Draco stepped onto the concrete steps outside St. Mungo's, and took an extended breath. He was preparing to go see the girl he loved, lying asleep peacefully, and hoping she would not wake from her nightmares.

He took the key from his pocket that would only let him in at this time on this day each year, and pushed it into the keyhole. He turned it and the door creaked open. He stepped into the semi-familiar lobby and nodded his head to the witch behind the counter. She nodded back and smiled as he headed towards the elevator.

As he made his way to the room, he couldn't help but think about how her life was ruined. She had spent six years of her life in this hospital, being cured and remembering memories that should never have been erased. What did she do to deserve this?

She was perfectly healthy, and had remembered a lot these past six years, but she was not fully recovered. She still lived in this hospital, frequently waking and screaming from dreadful nightmares.

Draco stood face to face with the door to her room. He had done this five times before, yet every instant was the same. He could never bring himself to open it right away.

He took a deep breath and turned the knob. The room was dark, except for a faint light coming from a small source over the bed.

There she was, staring him straight in the eyes.

He hadn't seen those beautiful chocolate eyes in six long, dreadful years. It was a relief to see them, and at the same time agonizing.

"Excuse me?" she said, a quiver in her voice.

"Sophia…" Draco had no idea what to say. He had no explanation of why he would come into her room at 12:48 in the morning. "I…uh…"

"Do I know you?"

She didn't remember him.

"Uh…well, we went to school together." His palms were getting sticky.

"Hogwarts?"

"Yea."

"Oh! I'm…I'm so sorry, I don't remember," she replied smiling. She really was beautiful. "Why are you here so…late?"

"Well, uh, it's the only time I could really visit. I'm terribly sorry for bothering you," he answered hastily.

"No, no. It's alright. I was awake anyway." Yeah, he hadn't expected her to be awake. "I was just reading because I couldn't sleep."

"Oh," was all that came out.

"So…did we know each other well?"

"Uh, kind of, I guess."

"Ha ha, sorry. This must be so awkward for you."

"No, not at all. I just…haven't seen you in so long. How are you doing?" Oh no, his leg was shaking. Stop that.

"I'm getting better everyday. I'm remembering a lot now, it's just those damn nightmares at night. They are what keep me in this place." She talked with such ease about her condition, and she was so calm. Draco's shoulders relaxed and the trembling of his leg ceased. "Oh Merlin…I'm so sorry, what is your name?"

"Draco Malfoy," he stated frankly. She didn't twitch, or wince, or shudder, or cringe. She didn't recognize the name at all. All hope flew out the window.

"Oh…what house were you in?"

Shite.

"Slytherin."

She sat there smiling, not moving an inch. He had expected her to grimace at the word, but she did not. Draco remembered that is why he loved her so much. She didn't care about blood, or house, or anything but the person's heart and soul.

"I was a Ravenclaw," she beamed.

"I know." He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand here in her room and talk to her like a normal human being, acting as if nothing ever happened. The guilt was building up inside him, destroying him. He could not gaze into the face of the girl he loved and betrayed, and not tell her what had happened that night. Who he was and what they had gone through. But he couldn't tell her the truth of their relationship. She wouldn't remember, and he didn't want her to remember. It would hurt her too much.

"I'm really sorry, I have to go. I could only stay for a few minutes."

"Oh, no! That's quite alright, Draco!" His stomach turned when she said his name. "Maybe we could have tea sometime?" Sophia suggested, the smile never disappearing.

"Sure, that would be nice," he smiled back. "Goodbye, Sophia."

"Bye, Draco!"

He stepped out of the room and shut the door gently. He sighed and headed towards the elevator leisurely, not wanting to really leave.

"What just happened…?" Draco asked himself. He couldn't believe it. He had talked to her, after not speaking to her for six years. It was such a relief to finally hear her voice again and not her petrifying horrid screams.

As he ambled across the lobby, he remembered something. His hand dove into his coat pocket and his fingers instantly wrapped around the hard, oval object. He took it out and his eyes were fixated on the golden locket. He outlined the initials S.J.D. with his index finger and exhaled.

He was going to give it back to her.

It was the least he could do. I mean, it's her locket, isn't it?

He couldn't go back in the room now, he had just left.

Moreover, he couldn't stare into her eyes again.

He walked over to the front counter and whispered to the nurse, "Good evening, Mam. I was wondering if I could leave something here for Sophia Dune?"

"Yes, of course," the witch replied. "You can write out a note and I'll leave it in her room for her when she wakes." She handed him a miniature sliver of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a quill. He leaned over the counter and wrote out the note. "So are you visiting here?

"Yes."

"Where are you staying?"

"Heyla's Lodging," he answered without looking up.

"Ah, nice place, nice place. Are you leaving soon?"

He handed her the locket and the note and replied, "Yea, tomorrow morning actually."

She observed the piece of jewelry and commented, "Oh, you do know that the chain is broken on that necklace, dear?"

"Yea, I know. It's alright." The broken chain haunted Draco. Sophia had broken it when she was upset with him. She had torn it from her neck. "Thank you."

And Draco Malfoy stepped onto the dark street and into the night.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's this?" Sophia asked aloud to no one in particular. She had sat up, stretched, and noticed the note and necklace on her nightstand beside her bed. She picked up the piece of parchment and read the note:

Sophia,

This was yours, and I have kept it for six years. I am dreadfully sorry for never returning it. The chain was broken when I found it, so I kept it and didn't change it, because I thought you might want it the way it was. Thank you,

Draco Malfoy

"A locket…?" Sophia murmured, puzzled because she couldn't remember ever having one like this. "It's beautiful." She held the locket in her hands and gazed at its beauty. She traced her fingers softly across her initials. "S, J, D…" She was curious as to what was inside and attempted to pry it open. It wouldn't budge because it had not been opened in six years. Her face turned a bright shade of red as she used all of her strength to force it open, and she succeeded.

The melody swam through the air and Sophia's ears were enchanted by the music. "It's…_beautiful_…" she breathed.

Sophia gasped as her eyes abruptly went white and her mind raced fifty miles a minute…images and voices flashing before her…

"_So why haven't you been getting any sleep lately? What's bothering you?"_

"_Hasn't anyone ever told you to not butt into anyone else's business?"_

"_Why must it be a secret?"_

"_Why do you care so much?"_

"_What is so important and secretive that you care to hide?"_

"_Get out." _

"_If you need help, I can help."_

…

"_What does she expect…us to perform normal transformations? Look at everyone else! Ha ha!"_

"_What do you expect? McGonagall's barmy."_

"_What? Look at what Lavender is doing to poor Neville!"_

"_Ha, I'm not surprised they're partners. Both gits."_

"_Excuse me? Don't just go around calling anyone a git, Draco! Neville and Lavender are not gits. Lavender may be a little odd but she happens to be a very nice person. And Neville is intelligent and very kind. He just lacks confidence." _

"_That doesn't mean they're not gits."_

"_What is wrong with you!? You think you're better than everyone else? I should have known. I knew you were nasty but I thought you might have grown out of it."_

…

"_Who are you going to be rooting for?" _

"_Uh, I don't really like to choose sides, sorry. But I do wish you luck."_

"_Oh come on."_

"_Fine. I'll secretly wish for Slytherin to win, okay?"_

"_Alright, that's good enough."_

…

"_Don't kill yourself."_

"_What's your excuse this time?"_

"_I didn't feel well. I'm not lying to you. I wouldn't lie to you."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?"_

"_I don't have to explain anything to anyone, especially you."_

"_What happened?"_

"_Nothing really. I feel better now. Tell me about the match. Gryffindor's lose?"_

"_I wasn't really paying attention all that much."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because you weren't playing so it was boring."_

…

"_Draco! Here! The ingredients you asked for!"_

"_Happy Christmas." _

…

"_Sophia. Here. This is for the Polyjuice Potion ingredients. I had some extra potion."_

"_Thank you very much!"_

"_It can't be used for another month, and it's not a lot, but it'll last for about ten minutes. It'll be like a trial, an experiment."_

"_Oh, hell, anything is nice. I don't care how much there is or how long it lasts. This is very generous."_

"_Yea, well, I'll see you later."_

"_Okay, goodbye…Don't give up hope."_

"_What!?"_

"_I…I was just telling you to not give up hope. On your problem…you looked as though you might break out into tears and I thought maybe you were giving up—"_

"_I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about. I don't have a problem. And I don't need your help. Or anyone's for that matter. You're pathetic."_

…

"_Sophia?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Look…I don't say this often…at all actually…I'm sorry."_

_A kiss._

"_I really am. I didn't want help from anyone. I wanted to do it on my own. But I…I can't. I told this to somebody else—"_

…

"_Well, let me just tell you something. Don't give up. Giving up will show that you are weak. I know how you loathe weakness. Not to mention giving up is pathetic. See? So don't surrender. Don't withdraw. Push forward. Continue. I know you can, and I know this sounds so corny. I probably sound like a git right now."_

"_No."_

"_Please. Don't."_

"_But I—"_

"_Draco."_

_A kiss._

"_Please. You won't fail. I promise."_

"_That's a big promise."_

"_I don't care."_

"_Okay." _

"_I'll…try."_

"_But only because you are irritating me. I'm only joking Sophia. Don't take things so seriously." _

"_Well it's a bit rough ever since you pronounced me pathetic." _

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"_

"_It's okay. Good luck. And please."_

"_I know."_

…

"_You may not realize it, but you do help me Sophia."_

"_Okay. As long as you say so, I trust you."_

"_That might not be the best thing."_

"_What?"_

"_It's alright. You have nothing to worry about. Alright I'm going to be late for class."_

"_You're a lot nicer once ya get to know you."_

…

"_Please…" _

"_No, Draco."_

"_Don't kill Dumbledore…"_

"_It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."_

"_I love you…"_

"_Dumbledore cornered…Well done, Draco, well done!"_

"_And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live…"_

"_I didn't….I didn't know he was going to come…"_

"_He's not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!"_

"_Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, talking and doing nothing, nothing…Come on, Draco, do it!"_

"_REDUCTO!"_

"_Now, Draco, quickly!"_

"_I'll do it."_

"_I said no!"_

_A flash of light._

"…_or stand aside so one of us…"_

"…_please…"_

_A flash of green light._

…

_Amycus…a small boy…his sister…Alecto…_

"_Stupefy!" _

"_HEY!"_

"_RUN! Expelliarmus!"_

"_Stupefy!"_

_The world disappeared…everything went black…mind was blank._

…

"_We thought you might like to have her. Specifically, you, Bellatrix. This filthy Mudblood somehow got under the radar and wasn't brought to the Ministry like she should've been."_

"_What was that?"_

"_This girl's a Mudblood? But how did she avoid being taken to the Ministry?"_

"_Cissy, calm down. It's alright. Who cares…this will be fun."_

"_What is your name…I said, what is your name…YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE MONSTER…Answer—my—question."_

"_S-Sophia Dune."_

"_What house?"_

"_Ravenclaw…Could you please let go of my chin? You're hurting me."_

"_Oh ho ho, a little smart arse aren't we now? Where did you ever get the impression that you could cast spells at a teacher? Nevermind a Death Eater?"_

"_They were hurting students."_

"_And that gives you the right to stupefy and disarm them? I think not…You disgust me…you filthy Mudblood…"_

"_Don't call me that…"_

"_CRUCIO!...Are you sorry?"_

"_No…"_

"_CRUCIO!...YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD! YOU DESERVE TO DIE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM! CRUCIO!...Ha ha! You're the second Mudblood this week! I must be very lucky…"_

…

"_Do you know this little snot nose devil?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Hm…is she in your year?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Have you ever talked to her before?"_

"_No."_

"_Do you know anything about her?"_

"_No."_

…

"_It was all because of you I didn't kill him. Now, because of you my parents, my aunt, and the Dark Lord believe me to be pathetic and weak! I was given that task and I got so far, but I didn't do it…and I could've done it too if you hadn't been in my ear!"_

"_No…you would never kill anyone…"_

"_It's your fault Snape killed him instead of me! I would have killed him if you hadn't of whispered in my ear!"_

"_Well then why didn't you just do it?! Why did you listen to me!?"_

"_Because—"_

…

"_Why do you care about these people?"_

"_What people?"_

"_Those people…those repulsive Death Eaters…and him…that revolting master of theirs…they are vile and cruel and absolutely sickening. I just don't understand why you want to be honored by them?! You're so much better than th—"_

_The Dark Mark._

"_No…No…you can't be a…no…"_

_Bellatrix's shriek._

"_No! My aunt is up! Go, Sophia! And Sophia! My blood is pure and yours is…dirty. I…I hope you understand that."_

"_Who's to say who is pure, and who is dirty?"_

…

_What was that?_

_A soft note…_

_And another…and another…_

_Making a chain of notes…a melody._

"_I knew you'd like it."_

"_It's…it's, oh Merlin! Why did you get this?"_

"_Happy Belated Christmas."_

…

"_I love you, Sophia_."

Sophia snapped back into reality, gasping for air, drenched in sweat. She sat staring at the locket in her hands and her mind was frantic.

"Oh my god…" she breathed.

She clutched the locket, whipped the covers from her, and dashed out of the room. She flung herself down the stairs, skipping four steps at a time. She burst into the lobby and completely ignored the five people that were there. She raced over to the counter and asked with impatience, "Do you know where Draco Malfoy is?"

The wizard behind the desk replied, "No…I'm afraid I don't…I'm sorry. Mam…shouldn't you be in your room? It's early in the morning…it's only seven o'clock…"

"I need to know where he is!" she shouted hysterically.

"Okay, mam. Please calm down…I think your nightmares might be acting up again…"

"Listen to me!" she cried.

A witch came around the corner yelling, "What is the all the fuss about?!"

"This young lady is looking for someone named Draco Malfoy and I do not have the answer. Jina, would you please escort her back to her room?" the wizard stated, clearly annoyed.

"Draco Malfoy, Miss? He was just here last night…he said, he said he was staying in um…oh what was it…well he said he was leaving this morning…oooh…I asked him this last night…it was…"

Sophia couldn't wait any longer.

"It doesn't matter, I'm leaving," and she sprinted for the door.

"HEYLA'S LODGING!" the witch shouted to Sophia.

Sophia stopped and turned around, "Thank you so very much, Mam," and left at the same speed she had come.

The streets were filled with people, and Sophia couldn't get around them unless she forced her way through. She was usually polite and hated to bother anyone, but right now she didn't care. She had to shove her way through to find him.

_I have to find him…I have to find him…_

She knew this city well, for she had been living in it for six years now. She had heard of Heyla's Lodging and knew it was next to Krinkler's Kandy on Buflet Street. And that wasn't very far from here…

The sun glared and beat down upon the masses of people trying to get to their destinations. Noises of the morning filled the streets, and chaos was unavoidable. But she made it.

She surged into the room yelling, "DRACO! DRACO!" but there was no answer and no Draco. Only eyes staring at her in confusion. Her head thrashed around fiercely looking for the one person she needed to see. She sighed in defeat and went back onto the street to look for him.

People pushed their way past the mobs as Sophia continued to cry out, "Draco! DRACO!" She climbed on top of the water fountain in the middle of the courtyard to see the surrounding people. But she could not see him.

"DRACO!" she called out once more, her voice almost completely hoarse.

And there he was. Walking into the train station.

NO!

Sophia bounded from the fountain's edge and onto the concrete, her bare feet slamming hard into the pavement. The pain shot through her body but she could care less about physical pain right now. Her only thought was on getting to the train station.

Sophia was running faster than she ever had. Her eyes would not move from him, her mind not floating away. She was determined.

And now she was only fifty yards away.

"DRACO!" she screamed out once more. He stopped dead in his tracks.

He had heard her.

He turned around to see who had called out his name, yet he couldn't see anyone who was looking particularly for him. And then Sophia emerged from the crowd, right in front of him.

They stared at one another in silence, like they had so many times before.

"I remember," she breathed, eyes wide, face blank. Almost as if both Sophia and Draco were connected, tears began trickling down their faces.

"Sophia…" he murmured in awe.

He grabbed her and hugged her. Sophia felt as though he would never let her go. Not ever.

"I told you I would never forget that sound…" she whispered in his ear.

"The locket?" he questioned, one eyebrow raised. Sophia nodded her head and they were lost in a kiss, giving them each a moment that would last them a life time.

"I'll never let you go…never again."


End file.
